Box Score SAVANNAH, GA – Despite career highs of 13 points and six rebounds by junior forward Antonio Freeman, Francis Marion University lost 79-71 at Armstrong Atlantic State University, Saturday afternoon (Jan. 5) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.
The Pirates improve to 7-4 overall and 3-1 in the league with a third straight win, while Francis Marion falls to 4-6 and 0-4. FMU will return home to host Columbus State University on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
The Patriots had 14 different players score at least two points and had nine different players make at least one three-pointer, but Freeman was the only player to reach double digits. Freshman Cameron Lee notched nine points, while both Nequan Melvin and Robert Carpenter chipped in eight.
The Pirates used a 22-9 run early in the first half to build a 26-16 lead with 10 minutes left in the first half. Armstrong lead by 10 on several other occasions, but a pair of three-pointers by Carpenter helped the Patriots close the gap to four points, 44-40, at halftime.
Altogether FMU canned eight three-pointers in the first half - by seven different players.
In the second stanza, a bucket by Freeman and a three-pointer by Mi'Kyel Nero trimmed the deficit to only one point at 46-45. Armstrong pushed the lead back to 10 points on two more occasions, but again the Patriots battled back to within one point, 67-66, on a three-pointer by Lee with 6:25 left.
A quick 6-0 run over the next two minutes stretched the lead back out to seven. A dunk by Melvin cut the margin to 75-71 with 2:43 remaining, but those would be the Patriots' final points as the Pirates secured several key rebounds in the final minute to seal the eight-point win.
Senior Aric Miller led the Pirates with 24 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the floor, while adding 12 rebounds and eight assists. Junior Eric Eversley also added a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds.
The Pirates shot 41.9 percent from the floor, while Francis Marion shot 38.2 percent from the field. Armstrong was 13-of-23 from the foul line, while FMU was 0-for-4 at the stripe, and the Pirates claimed a large rebounding advantage which led to a 25-6 lead in second-chance points.
1/5/13 3:30 p.m. at Savannah, Ga. (Alumni Arena)
ARMSTRONG 79, FRANCIS MARION 71
FRANCIS MARION (4-6, 0-4 PBC)
Antonio Freeman 6-15 0-0 13; Cameron Lee 3-5 0-0 9; Nequan Melvin 4-7 0-2 8;
Robert Carpenter 3-8 0-0 8; Mi'Kyel Nero 3-5 0-0 7; Chris Rhodes 2-5 0-0 5;
Evrik Gary 2-7 0-2 4; Sam Caron 1-2 0-0 3; Clayton Williams 1-3 0-0 3; Storm
Clonch 1-6 0-0 3; Dustin Jones 1-4 0-0 3; Tyler Deihl 1-3 0-0 3; Alex Tucker
1-2 0-0 2; AJ Caldwell 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 29-76 0-4 71.
ARMSTRONG (7-4, 3-1 PBC)
Aric Miller 11-21 2-4 24; J.C. Winn 6-14 2-2 14; Eric Eversley 6-10 0-2 12;
Kenny Bellinger II 3-4 2-2 11; Antroine Williford 2-11 1-4 6; Kelcey Walker
1-2 3-3 5; Darius Morales 2-7 1-4 5; Kyle Callanan 0-5 2-2 2. Totals 31-74
13-23 79.
Halftime: Armstrong 44 Francis Marion 40
3-point goals--Francis Marion 13-38 (Cameron Lee 3-5; Robert Carpenter 2-6;
Sam Caron 1-2; Antonio Freeman 1-7; Chris Rhodes 1-1; Mi'Kyel Nero 1-1;
Tyler Deihl 1-3; Dustin Jones 1-3; Clayton Williams 1-2; Storm Clonch 1-4;
AJ Caldwell 0-2; Evrik Gary 0-2), Armstrong 4-16 (Kenny Bellinger II 3-3;
Antroine Williford 1-4; Eric Eversley 0-1; Kelcey Walker 0-1; Kyle Callanan
0-3; J.C. Winn 0-2; Aric Miller 0-2). Fouled out--Francis Marion-None,
Armstrong-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 37 (Evrik Gary 9), Armstrong 61
(Eric Eversley 15). Assists--Francis Marion 13 (Evrik Gary 2; Chris Rhodes
2; Mi'Kyel Nero 2; Clayton Williams 2; Robert Carpenter 2; Antonio Freeman
2), Armstrong 14 (Aric Miller 8). Total fouls--Francis Marion 19, Armstrong
11. Technical fouls--None. A-367
