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AIKEN, SC- Senior forward Simone Trice's heave from just inside half court missed wide as Francis Marion University's upset bid of the tenth-ranked USC Aiken Pacers came up short in a 65-63 loss, Wednesday night (Feb. 22) in Aiken, S.C.
FMU got a team-leading 15 points from sophomore guard Brittany Christian as well as 14 points from junior Kristen Dickerson, 11 coming in the first half. FMU closes its 2011-12 season at 9-17 overall and 4-14 in the Peach Belt Conference.
Kayla Harris and Hannah DeGraffinreed each poured in 23 points for the Pacers (22-3, 15-2).
The Patriots held their only lead of the first half at 5-2 after a three-pointer from Dickerson at 18:04, before the Pacers reeled off 11 straight points. The run was capped off by a three-point bucket from Mia Antoine with 14:11 left in the half.
The Pacers' lead stuck around eight, before FMU worked it down to three points at 29-26 when freshman Chelsey Johnson cashed in on a layup with 3:24 remaining. Another USC Aiken run (7-0) over the next two minutes came as the Patriots went without a bucket for 2:51 before Christian hit a three-pointer with 35 ticks left. The Pacers held a 38-31 lead at the break.
A quick 13-2 run after recess gave the Patriots a four-point lead, 44-40, with 16:01 left in the contest. Trice contributed an old-fashioned three-point play as she ended her final game with nine points.
An 8-0 Pacers run gave USC Aiken the lead back at 48-44 with 10:53 left. The Pacers lead held at four (61-57) with 1:20 left before FMU put forth its final bid for the upset. Francis Marion surged ahead on senior T.T. Belcher's layup-and-one conversion with 40 seconds, putting FMU on top 63-61. A pair of Harris layups on back-to-back possessions sandwiched around a crucial Patriot turnover gave the Pacers a 65-63 advantage before Trice's final effort was no good.
Belcher finished her final contest with nine points and a team-leading nine rebounds, while junior guard Carmella Thompson contributed nine points off the bench. The team's third senior, post player Danielle Gibson, finished with five points, four rebounds, and two assists.
The Pacers outshot FMU from the field 54.7 (29-53) percent compared to 37.9 (22-58) percent. Francis Marion held the advantage from long-range going 6-19 (31.6 percent) as compared to USC Aiken's 1-9 effort (11.1 percent). USC Aiken won the rebounding battle slightly, 35-33.
2-22-12 5:30 PM at Aiken, SC (Convocation Center)
#10 USC AIKEN 65, FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 63
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (9-17, 4-14 PBC)
Kristen Dickerson 6-11 2-2 15; Brittany Christian 4-11 3-3 14; Carmella
Thompson 3-9 1-1 9; T.T. Belcher 4-6 1-3 9; Simone Trice 4-13 1-3 9;
Danielle Gibson 0-2 5-6 5; Chelsey Johnson 1-4 0-0 2; Jas. Williams-Hayes
0-2 0-0 0; Hattie Harris 0-0 0-0 0; Emilee Dunton 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 22-58
13-19 63.
#10 USC AIKEN (22-3, 15-2 PBC)
Hannah DeGraffinreed 11-12 1-3 23; Kayla Harris 10-14 3-5 23; Mia Antoine
3-7 0-0 7; Brittany Hill 2-8 2-2 6; Daniela Tarailo 2-6 0-0 4; Porsha Martin
1-1 0-0 2; Mackenize Reese 0-0 0-0 0; Emily O'Rourke 0-0 0-0 0; Lindsay
Sundberg 0-4 0-0 0; Brittany Bowen 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-53 6-10 65.
Halftime: USCA 38 Francis Marion 31
3-point goals--Francis Marion University 6-19 (Brittany Christian 3-7;
Carmella Thompson 2-4; Kristen Dickerson 1-2; Simone Trice 0-6), USC Aiken
1-9 (Mia Antoine 1-2; Brittany Hill 0-1; Daniela Tarailo 0-2; Lindsay
Sundberg 0-4). Fouled out--Francis Marion University-None, USC Aiken-None.
Rebounds--Francis Marion University 33 (T.T. Belcher 9), USC Aiken 35
(Hannah DeGraffinreed 11). Assists--Francis Marion University 16 (Carmella
Thompson 6), USC Aiken 20 (Brittany Hill 10). Total fouls--Francis Marion
University 14, USC Aiken 19. Technical fouls--None. A-986
