BANNER ELK, NC – Graduate student Evrik Gary scored a season-high 31 points and Francis Marion University overcame a 13-0 deficit to open the game as the Patriots sailed to a 96-76 victory over Lees-McRae College, Friday night (Nov. 22) in men's basketball action as part of the Americourt Classic.

The Patriots open their season 2-0 for the fifth time in the past six years.  FMU will play North Greenville University, a 117-108 overtime victor over Bluefield State College in Friday's opening contest, on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Gary connected on 10-of-18 field goal attempts, including 7-of-13 three-point shots, and hit 4-of-6 from the foul line. The seven three-pointers were only two shy of the single-game school record.  The 6-3 Camden native upped his career points total to 1,271, while also hauling down eight rebounds. 

Junior swingman Dustin Jones added 19 points, while senior forward Robert Carpenter scored 16 points and junior forward Mykel Harris chipped in 13 points and nine rebounds coming off the Patriot bench.  Harris canned 11-of-12 free throws.

Mike Chambers led the Bobcats (3-3) with 18 points.

Lees-McRae ran off to a 13-0 lead to open the contest as FMU missed its first 10 field goal attempts.  A 22-8 spurt by the Patriots erased the margin and put the Patriots up 38-37 following a three-point play by Gary.  The Bobcats led 41-40 at intermission.

An 11-1 run early in the second stanza put FMU ahead to stay.

For the game, FMU committed only 10 turnovers and held a 49-37 rebounding edge, while leading 24-7 in second-chance points.  The Patriots connected on 14-of-37 attempts from beyond the three-point arc and were 26-of-35 at the free throw stripe.

11-22-13 7:00 pm at Banner Elk, N.C. (Williams Gymnasium)
FRANCIS MARION 96, LEES-MCRAE 76

 
FRANCIS MARION (2-0)
Evrik Gary 10-18 4-6 31; Dustin Jones 6-14 2-2 19; Robert Carpenter 5-12 5-6
16; Mykel Harris 1-6 11-12 13; Tyler Deihl 2-8 1-2 6; Clark Major 2-5 1-4 5;
Luka Zivkovic 1-2 0-0 2; Lepreece Lynch 1-1 0-1 2; Trevonte Dixon 0-1 2-2 2;
Alex Bryant 0-0 0-0 0; Sam Caron 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-67 26-35 96.
LEES-MCRAE (3-3)
Mike Chambers 6-10 1-2 18; Darius Smith 3-10 5-7 11; Darryl Bond 5-10 0-0
10; Raul Tutton 2-7 3-4 8; Darius Malbon 2-6 1-2 7; Jacquise Moore 2-9 2-2
6; Donte Falls 0-0 5-6 5; Josh Gaither 2-2 0-0 5; Chad Hicks 1-1 0-0 3;
Chase Arnold 1-4 0-0 2; Avery Wallis 0-0 1-2 1; Kyle Burton-Harper 0-1 0-0
0; DeAndre Tillman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-60 18-25 76.
Halftime: Lees-McRae 41 Francis Marion 40
3-point goals--Francis Marion 14-37 (Evrik Gary 7-13; Dustin Jones 5-11;
Robert Carpenter 1-5; Tyler Deihl 1-5; Trevonte Dixon 0-1; Luka Zivkovic
0-1; Mykel Harris 0-1), Lees-McRae 10-24 (Mike Chambers 5-8; Darius Malbon
2-4; Josh Gaither 1-1; Raul Tutton 1-4; Chad Hicks 1-1; Jacquise Moore 0-2;
Darryl Bond 0-2; Darius Smith 0-2). Fouled out--Francis Marion-None,
Lees-McRae-Mike Chambers. Rebounds--Francis Marion 49 (Mykel Harris 9),
Lees-McRae 37 (Darryl Bond 12). Assists--Francis Marion 15 (Clark Major 4),
Lees-McRae 16 (Darius Smith 6). Total fouls--Francis Marion 19, Lees-McRae
23. Technical fouls--Mike Chambers; Lees-McRae TEAM. A-1071