FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University connected on 16-of-26 field goal attempts over the final 20 minutes and received career-high efforts from sophomores Dustin Jones (28 points) and Clayton Williams (21) as the Patriots cruised to an 82-50 win over Georgia Southwestern State University, Saturday afternoon (Jan. 12) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.

Francis Marion notched its first conference victory of the year and improved to 5-7 overall. .  The Patriots will conclude their three-game home stand with a 7:30 p.m. tilt against Armstrong Atlantic State University on Thursday night.

In addition to the hot-shooting second stanza, the Patriots also nailed 17-of-37 three-point attempts for the game as FMU continues to lead the nation in three-point buckets made per game.

Jones was 11-of-21 from the field, including 6-of-15 from beyond the arc, while grabbing six rebounds and committing only one turnover in 37 minutes of action.  Williams scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half and was 7-of-11 from three-point distance.  He handed out four assists and did not commit a turnover in 36 minutes.

Junior guard Evrik Gary added 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while junior guard Tyler Deihl chipped in 10 points and four assists.  FMU starters accounted for 80 of the team's 82 points.  

The Patriots committed only eight turnovers, while forcing 21 GSW miscues.  That difference led to a 33-9 advantage for FMU in points-off-turnovers.

Guard Jamon Hawkins and reserve swingman Alan Arnett paced the Hurricanes (6-6, 2-3) with 17 and 16 points respectively.  Arnett also grabbed seven rebounds.

GSW scored the game's opening two baskets, but Gary scored on a layup and a fast-break alley-oop dunk during a 10-0 Francis Marion run that gave the Patriots the lead for good at 19-10.

The margin stood at six (25-19) after a lay-in by Arnett, but FMU outscored the Hurricanes 16-4 over the final 7:20 of the first half to claim a 41-23 halftime advantage.  Jones (12) and Gary (11) combined to match GSW's point total in the opening stanza.

A fast-break bucket by Arnett off a feed from Hawkins trimmed the margin to 16 points, 47-31, with 16:01 left, but that was as close as the Hurricanes would get.  A second Gary dunk capped a 15-6 spurt that quickly took the margin to 25 points.  Williams was 5-of-6 from behind the arc and handed out two assists over the final 15 minutes.

FMU's game total of 50 percent shooting matched the team's high mark for the season. The Patriots notched an assist on 25 of their 30 baskets.

In contrast to Francis Marion hot shooting over the final 20 minutes, the Hurricanes connected on only 37.5 percent of their shots after intermission, and 42.6 percent for the game.

The win evens the all-time series at 5-5 and Francis Marion has won all four meetings in Florence.

1/12-13 4 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIV. 82, GA. SOUTHWESTERN ST. 50

GA. SOUTHWESTERN ST. (6-6 , 2-3 PBC)
Jamon Hawkins 7-11 0-1 17; Alan Arnett 6-15 3-4 16; Matt Shaw 3-5 0-0 6;
Tyler Gunnett 1-2 1-2 4; Michael Tankersley 2-4 0-0 4; Daryl Davis 1-5 0-0
2; Ian Andre 0-0 1-2 1; Colby Czerepinski 0-2 0-1 0; Adrian Knight 0-2 0-0
0; Milos Kleut 0-1 0-1 0. Totals 20-47 5-11 50.
FRANCIS MARION UNIV. (5-7 , 1-5 PBC)
Dustin Jones 11-21 0-0 28; Clayton Williams 7-14 0-0 21; Evrik Gary 6-11 3-4
17; Tyler Deihl 3-5 2-2 10; Antonio Freeman 2-5 0-0 4; Chris Rhodes 1-3 0-0
2; Storm Clonch 0-1 0-0 0; Robert Carpenter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-60 5-6 82.
Halftime: Francis Marion 41 Ga. Southwestern 23
3-point goals--Ga. Southwestern St. 5-18 (Jamon Hawkins 3-7; Alan Arnett
1-4; Tyler Gunnett 1-1; Daryl Davis 0-2; Colby Czerepinski 0-2; Adrian
Knight 0-1; Michael Tankersley 0-1), Francis Marion Univ. 17-37 (Clayton
Williams 7-11; Dustin Jones 6-15; Tyler Deihl 2-3; Evrik Gary 2-6; Chris
Rhodes 0-1; Antonio Freeman 0-1). Fouled out--Ga. Southwestern St.-None,
Francis Marion Univ.-None. Rebounds--Ga. Southwestern St. 30 (Alan Arnett 7;
Milos Kleut 7), Francis Marion Univ. 26 (Dustin Jones 6; Evrik Gary 6).
Assists--Ga. Southwestern St. 14 (Tyler Gunnett 7), Francis Marion Univ. 25
(Antonio Freeman 5; Evrik Gary 5). Total fouls--Ga. Southwestern St. 11,
Francis Marion Univ. 14. Technical fouls--None. A-675

Charges drawn: Freeman, Shaw