Columbus, Ga. (Jan. 10, 2014) – Columbus State ended the game on a 15-4 run and defeated Francis Marion 68-51 Friday night in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action in Columbus, Ga. Senior Kim Roach led the Patriots with 11 points and six rebounds.

FMU falls to 8-3 overall and 3-2 in the PBC. It was the Patriots' first loss in the last five outings. Francis Marion returns to the court Sunday afternoon at Georgia Southwestern State University. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m.

Junior Cy'erra Mills finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Senior Dee Grey recorded six points, while junior Alaysia Watts added a team-high eight rebounds off the bench to go with four points. FMU's leading scorer, Briana Robinson, came into the contest averaging 13.1 points per game, but was held to just six points and two rebounds.

Three Columbus State (8-3, 3-2) starters finished the game in double-figure scoring, led by Asha Alexander who had a game-high 18 points. Chanti Bradford and Carrie Washington finished with 15 and 11 points respectively.

The Patriots led for the first ten minutes of the contest, and saw their lead sit at 15-11 with 9:39 remaining in the first half. However, the Lady Cougars took their first lead of the game at 19-17 with just over eight minutes to play in the half. CSU then used a 14-2 spurt to increase its lead to 14, and force a Patriot timeout. FMU would cut the lead back to eight, but faced a 38-27 deficit at the half.

The Patriots, who came into the game as leaders of the PBC East Division, came out hot in the second half, and used a 13-4 run to cut the Lady Cougar lead to 43-40 with 12:56 to play in the game. Mills had five points in that stretch including a big three-pointer to force a CSU timeout.

The Lady Cougars would hold onto their lead, but FMU would keep the deficit in striking distance the next eight minutes, and sat only six points behind at 53-47 off a Lauren Woods three-pointer with 4:39 to play. However, CSU reeled off its final run, helped by three FMU turnovers, and sealed the 17 point victory.

The Patriots came into the game leading the PBC in fewest turnovers per-game at 13.8, but committed 24 turnovers that resulted in 20 CSU points. FMU did outrebound Columbus State 42-35, including a 19-13 edge on the offensive boards. 

1-10-14 5:30 p.m. at Columbus, Ga.  Lumpkin Center
COLUMBUS STATE 68, FRANCIS MARION 51
FRANCIS MARION (8-3, 3-2 PBC)
Kim Roach 4-5 3-4 11; Cy'erra Mills 3-12 2-2 10; Dee Gray 2-9 1-2 6; Briana
Robinson 2-6 2-2 6; Alexia Bell 2-4 1-2 5; Alaysia Watts 2-6 0-0 4; Camille
Dash 1-8 2-4 4; Lauren Woods 1-3 0-0 3; Chelsea Dukes 0-3 2-2 2; Erin
Pinkett 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 17-58 13-18 51.
COLUMBUS STATE (8-3, 3-2 PBC)
Asha Alexander 7-12 4-6 18; Chatil Bradford 7-15 1-3 15; Carrie Washington
5-5 1-4 11; Tae Smith 3-10 1-2 7; Britteny Tatum 2-3 1-5 6; Ashley Asouzu
3-3 0-0 6; Kayla Richards 1-6 0-0 3; Kristen Kennebrew 1-1 0-0 2; Michelle
Montgomery 0-0 0-0 0; Mary McCarty 0-2 0-0 0; Dee Dee Deshazer 0-4 0-0 0.
Totals 29-61 8-20 68.
Halftime: CSU 38 Francis Marion 27
3-point goals--Francis Marion 4-20 (Cy'erra Mills 2-7; Lauren Woods 1-3; Dee
Gray 1-2; Camille Dash 0-2; Chelsea Dukes 0-2; Erin Pinkett 0-2; Briana
Robinson 0-2), Columbus State 2-15 (Britteny Tatum 1-2; Kayla Richards 1-5;
Tae Smith 0-3; Dee Dee Deshazer 0-4; Chatil Bradford 0-1). Fouled
out--Francis Marion-None, Columbus State-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 42
(Alaysia Watts 8), Columbus State 35 (Asha Alexander 8). Assists--Francis
Marion 7 (Cy'erra Mills 4), Columbus State 12 (Britteny Tatum 4; Tae Smith
4). Total fouls--Francis Marion 17, Columbus State 15. Technical
fouls--None. A-404