FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore swingman Dustin Jones poured in 27 points and junior guard Evrik Gary scored 22, but a last minute rally by Francis Marion University fell just short as the Patriots dropped a 101-95 decision to UNC Pembroke, Wednesday (Feb. 27) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.

FMU (11-14, 6-12) will play its final contest of the 2012-13 campaign on the road against Lander University, Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Jones connected on 10-of-17 field goal attempts, including 7-of-13 from behind the three-point arc.  By pushing his season total of long-range shots to 78, he eclipsed the team record for three-pointers made in a season, which had been 75 by Robert Barber during the 1987-88 campaign. 

Gary was 8-of-15 from the floor and surpassed 1,200 points for his career (now at 1,211).  FMU junior forward Antonio Freeman scored a career-high 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting and hauled down a team-high eight rebounds.  Junior forward Robert Carpenter added 10 points off the Patriot bench.

Freshmen Brandon Winford and Quamain Rose paced six UNCP (20-8, 13-5) players in double figures with 18 points apiece. Rose also handed out 10 assists, all coming in the opening half.

UNCP led for the majority of the first stanza.  A layup by senior guard Shahmel Brackett with 6:47 left before halftime gave the Braves their largest lead in the first half at 38-28.  Francis Marion answered with a 14-3 run to take a one-point lead at 42-41, three minutes before intermission.  The spurt featured four three-pointers, including a pair from junior guard Tyler Deihl.

The Braves led 51-45 at halftime after scoring the final eight points of the first half.

A three-point play by Gary and a three-pointer from Jones quickly tied the score at 51-51 only 1:16 into the second stanza.  UNCP would gradually build its lead back to double digits, culminating at 89-75 with 4:04 left on the clock.

FMU used a 17-7 spurt to trim the margin to 96-92 with just under a minute remaining.  Following two UNCP misses at the foul line, Jones connected on a long three-pointer from the left elbow to bring the Patriots to within 96-95 with 28 ticks left.  Rose extended the margin back to three as he connected on two free throws at :25.8.

With a chance to tie the game, Jones was called for traveling in front of the Francis Marion bench with 17 seconds left, and Winford sealed the game with one of two free throws and then a dunk just before the final horn.

FMU shot 48.6 percent from the field and added to its nation-lead total of three-pointers made per game by canning 16-of-37.  However the Patriots were only 9-of-12 at the foul line compared to the Braves' 23-of-39 total.  UNCP shot 52.8 percent from the floor.

Francis Marion honored senior forward Mi'kyel Nero prior to the game. Nero connected on his only shot, a three-pointer from the top of the key, but was injured early in the contest and did not return.

                                                FMU head coach Gary Edwards and senior Mi'kyel Nero