FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University fell behind early and battled back to make a game of it early in the second half before eventually falling to the University of North Georgia 82-48, Thursday evening (Feb. 14) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.

The Patriots (10-10, 4-9) will entertain Young Harris College for Homecoming 2013 on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.  Admission to all events on campus that day is free.

Freshman guard Camille Dash led Francis Marion with a career-high 15 points, including 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the three-point arc.  Senior guard Kristen Dickerson added nine points and five steals.

Sophomore guard Stephanie Huffman paced five Saints (9-13, 7-8) in double figures with 17 points.  The PBC's third-leading scorer, Jaymee Carnes, was held to 11 points, but she hauled down a game-high 10 rebounds and blocked three shots.

FMU point guard Briana Robinson opened the scoring with a layup, but North Georgia answered with nine straight points to take a 9-2 advantage.  After a free throw by Dash momentarily broke the run and made the score 11-3, the Saints scored 18 straight points to grab a commanding 29-3 lead.  North Georgia connected on 13 of its first 19 shots, while the Patriots made only one of their first 17 attempts.

FMU did whittle the deficit to 35-24, after the third of three-straight triples by Dash, with 1:44 left before halftime.  The Saints then got a pair of inside hoops to carry a 39-24 advantage into the locker room at intermission.

Three-pointers by Dash and Dee Gray, and a fast-break jumper by Dickerson, helped the Patriots to get the margin under double figures, 41-32, less than three minutes into the second stanza.  Again the Saints responded, this time with a 21-4 run that ended the hopes of an FMU comeback.

Francis Marion shot just 25 percent from the field, while the Saints hit a sizzling 59.3 percent, including 66.7 percent over the final 20 minutes.

2/14/13 5:30 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
NORTH GEORGIA 82, FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 48
NORTH GEORGIA (9-13 , 7-8 PBC)
Stephanie Huffman 6-12 5-7 17; Mimi Hill 8-15 0-2 16; Jasmine Manning 6-6
2-4 14; Jaymee Carnes 5-11 0-0 11; Keeley Chester 4-6 1-1 10; Molly
Rainwater 3-4 0-0 8; Crystal Moore 2-4 0-0 4; Giovanni Sims 1-1 0-0 2;
Mikalyn DeFoor 0-0 0-1 0; Gabby Arencibia 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 35-59 8-15 82.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (10-10 , 4-9 PBC)
Camille Dash 5-12 1-2 15; Kristen Dickerson 4-13 1-1 9; Kim Roach 4-5 0-0 8;
Briana Robinson 2-11 2-2 6; Jas. Williams-Hayes 0-6 4-6 4; Erin Pinkett 1-7
0-0 3; Dee Gray 1-9 0-0 3; Jalyn McDowell 0-2 0-0 0; Hattie Harris 0-3 0-0
0. Totals 17-68 8-11 48.
Halftime: North Georgia 39 Francis Marion 24
3-point goals--North Georgia 4-9 (Molly Rainwater 2-2; Keeley Chester 1-3;
Jaymee Carnes 1-2; Stephanie Huffman 0-2), Francis Marion University 6-20
(Camille Dash 4-6; Dee Gray 1-3; Erin Pinkett 1-4; Briana Robinson 0-3;
Hattie Harris 0-1; Kristen Dickerson 0-3). Fouled out--North Georgia-None,
Francis Marion University-Dee Gray. Rebounds--North Georgia 49 (Jaymee
Carnes 10), Francis Marion University 31 (Jas. Williams-Hayes 6).
Assists--North Georgia 24 (Stephanie Huffman 6), Francis Marion University
14 (Briana Robinson 4). Total fouls--North Georgia 14, Francis Marion
University 18. Technical fouls--None. A-576