FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University scored only three points during an eight-minute span of the second half and saw an eight-point lead disappear as the Patriots fell to Clayton State University 78-75, Saturday afternoon (Dec. 20) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.

Francis Marion ends the 2014 calendar year with a 7-3 overall record and a 0-2 conference mark. FMU will return from its Christmas break with a Jan. 3 game at Columbus State University.  The next home contest for the Patriots will be a Jan. 5 match-up with GRU Augusta that will tip-off at 7:30 p.m.

WATCH THE GAME REPLAY

Freshman point guard Detrek Browning led FMU with 21 points, seven assists, and seven steals. The seven thefts were one shy of the FMU single-game record, the second time this week Browning has come within one of the mark. It was the Columbia native's fifth 20-point effort of the young season. 

FMU senior swingman Dustin Jones poured in 20 points off the bench, while freshman 6-7 forward Judah Alexander added a career-high-tying 13 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

Senior guard Kelsey Terry led Clayton State (8-2, 1-1) with 35 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.  His point total was only five shy of the Laker single-game record.  He drained 13-of-17 field goal attempts, including 4-of-7 three-point shots, and was 5-of-6 at the foul line.  Twenty-five of his points came in the final 19 minutes as the Lakers rallied from behind.

Clayton Stat took an early 15-7 lead and at the midway point of the first stanza held a 23-14 advantage.  Francis Marion responded with an 11-0 run, capped by back-to-back triples from Jones, to snag a 25-23 lead.

FMU eventually went ahead 37-30, after a three-pointer by freshman A.J. Jackson, but Clayton State rallied to within 39-37 at intermission.

The Patriots continued to hold the lead through the opening 10 minutes of the second half, leading by as many as eight points on four occasions.  The final time came at 57-49 with 13:03 remaining.  A 13-2 spurt by the Lakers put Clayton State on top at 62-59 with 7:37 left.

The CSU lead expanded to 68-60 with 4:51 on the clock.  A three-pointer by Jones trimmed the deficit to 74-72 at the 1:35 mark, and following a Laker miss at the other end, FMU junior center Dii'Jon Allen-Jordan made 1-of-2 free throws to make it a one-point game at 74-73 with 48 ticks remaining.

A single Laker free throw pushed the margin back to 75-73, but FMU missed a three-pointer, got the offensive rebound, and then turned the ball over.  Terry made 1-of 2 free throws to extend the margin to three points with 10.1 seconds left.  Browning scored on a driving layup at :02 to make the score 76-75, but Dantez Bennamon answered with two free throws at the other end.  A last three-quarters-court heave by Jackson was no good at the final horn.

FMU shot 50.9 percent from the floor, including a sizzling 57.7 percent over the final 20 minutes.  The Patriots were 9-of-19 from beyond the arc and 10-of14 at the charity stripe. Clayton State shot 50.9 percent, made 8-of-20 three-point attempts, and was 16-of-19 at the free throw line.

12-20-14 4 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
CLAYTON STATE UNIV. 78, FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 75
CLAYTON STATE UNIV. (8-2, 1-1 PBC)
Kelsey Terry 13-17 5-6 35; Saiquan Terry 3-9 0-0 9; JC Bonny 3-8 2-2 9;
Dantez Bennamon 2-7 4-6 8; Richard Bell 3-6 1-1 7; Jamil McKee 1-2 2-2 4;
William Asplund 1-1 2-2 4; Patrick Bell 1-2 0-0 2; Malique Gibbons 0-0 0-0
0; SirDarius Henry 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-53 16-19 78.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (7-3, 0-2 PBC)
Detrek Browning 9-16 2-2 21; Dustin Jones 7-10 1-2 20; Judah Alexander 4-7
5-6 13; Mike Davis Jr. 3-4 0-0 7; Trevonte Dixon 2-3 1-2 6; Dii'Jon
Allen-Jordan 2-7 1-2 5; A.J. Jackson 1-4 0-0 3; Luka Zivkovic 0-3 0-0 0;
David Brown 0-1 0-0 0; Alex Bryant 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-55 10-14 75.
Halftime: Francis Marion 39 Clayton State 37
3-point goals--Clayton State Univ. 8-20 (Kelsey Terry 4-7; Saiquan Terry
3-6; JC Bonny 1-2; Jamil McKee 0-1; SirDarius Henry 0-1; Richard Bell 0-1;
Dantez Bennamon 0-2), Francis Marion University 9-19 (Dustin Jones 5-6;
Trevonte Dixon 1-2; Mike Davis Jr. 1-2; Detrek Browning 1-4; A.J. Jackson
1-3; Luka Zivkovic 0-1; David Brown 0-1). Fouled out--Clayton State
Univ.-None, Francis Marion University-Mike Davis Jr.. Rebounds--Clayton
State Univ. 33 (Kelsey Terry 8), Francis Marion University 23 (Judah
Alexander 7). Assists--Clayton State Univ. 14 (Dantez Bennamon 4), Francis
Marion University 15 (Detrek Browning 7). Total fouls--Clayton State Univ.
16, Francis Marion 18. Technical fouls--None. A-564