Box Score
PEMBROKE, NC – Francis Marion University, ranked third in the nation in scoring, managed only 26 points in the first half and the Patriots dropped a tough road conference game against UNC Pembroke 91-68 on Thursday evening (Feb.7) in men's Peach Belt Conference basketball action.
Francis Marion (8-10, 3-8) will now travel back to Florence and prepare to host PBC East Division opponent Lander University on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the Smith University Center.
Senior guard Mi'kyel Nero and junior forward Robert Carpenter led the Patriots in scoring with 12 points apiece. For Nero it was a career high, as were his seven rebounds. Guard Chris Rhodes added 11 points.
The Patriots had a tough night from the floor all around as they shot just 29 percent in the first half, while converting only 4-of-21 from behind the three-point line. In the second half, the Patriots played the Braves nearly even. Overall, FMU shot 40 percent from the floor and was 9-of-42 from three-point range.
Center George Blakeney led the Braves (15-7, 8-4) with 16 points and 7 rebounds, while guards Quamain Rose, Shahmel Brackett, and Brandon Winford chipped in 15, 11 and 11 points respectively.
After an early 2-2 tie, UNCP scored seven straight points and never trailed. The Braves at one point held a 22-9 lead. The lead got as big as 22, with the Braves holding a 46-26 advantage at intermission.
The Braves shot 47.9 percent from the floor, including 50 percent in the second half. Rebounding was a big key for UNCP as they outrebounded FMU 52-30, taking advantage of a big height advantage.
2/7/13 7:30 p.m. at Pembroke, N.C./English E. Jones Center
UNC PEMBROKE 91, FRANCIS MARION 68
FRANCIS MARION (8-10, 3-8 PBC)
Mi'kyel Nero 6-8 0-0 12; Robert Carpenter 4-13 2-4 12; Chris Rhodes 5-8 0-0
11; Clayton Williams 3-3 0-2 9; Dustin Jones 3-11 0-0 8; Alex Tucker 4-4 0-0
8; Tyler Deihl 1-7 0-0 3; Evrik Gary 0-7 3-3 3; Sam Caron 1-4 0-0 2; Storm
Clonch 0-0 0-0 0; AJ Caldwell 0-1 0-0 0; Antonio Freeman 0-1 0-0 0. Totals
27-67 5-9 68.
UNC PEMBROKE (15-7, 8-4 PBC)
George Blakeney 6-6 4-5 16; Quamain Rose 4-10 5-5 15; Shahmel Brackett 5-11
0-0 11; Brandon Winford 4-9 3-4 11; Griffin Pittman 3-7 0-0 8; Alex Bradley
2-6 2-2 7; Jihad Wright 2-3 2-2 6; Ben Jacobs 3-5 0-0 6; K.J. Cooper 2-6 0-0
4; Reggie Cobia 1-2 1-3 3; Chris Lindsay 1-2 0-0 2; Tyler Kordenbrock 1-1
0-0 2; Blair Broom 0-1 0-0 0; Tyler Thayer 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 34-71 17-21 91.
Halftime: UNCP 46 Francis Marion 26
3-point goals--Francis Marion 9-42 (Clayton Williams 3-3; Robert Carpenter
2-11; Dustin Jones 2-10; Tyler Deihl 1-7; Chris Rhodes 1-2; AJ Caldwell 0-1;
Sam Caron 0-1; Evrik Gary 0-6; Mi'kyel Nero 0-1), UNC Pembroke 6-21 (Griffin
Pittman 2-4; Quamain Rose 2-5; Shahmel Brackett 1-4; Alex Bradley 1-4; K.J.
Cooper 0-3; Blair Broom 0-1). Fouled out--Francis Marion-Antonio Freeman,
UNC Pembroke-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 30 (Mi'kyel Nero 7), UNC
Pembroke 52 (Brandon Winford 9). Assists--Francis Marion 16 (Tyler Deihl 4),
UNC Pembroke 18 (Alex Bradley 4). Total fouls--Francis Marion 21, UNC
Pembroke 15. Technical fouls--None. A-2573
