ST. AUGUSTINE, FL – Junior Dustin Jones scored a team-high 21 points, but a last-minute comeback fell just short as Francis Marion University dropped a 75-71 Peach Belt Conference decision to Flagler College, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 1) in men's basketball action.

Francis Marion (7-11, 4-8) will return home to host UNC Pembroke on Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m.

Jones also pulled down eight rebounds and was a perfect 6-of-6 at the foul line – part of the team's near perfect 17-of-18 day at the stripe.  Graduate student Evrik Gary scored 12 points to move past Terance Wood and into fourth place on the Patriot all-time scoring list with 1,575 points.

FMU senior forward Robert Carpenter added 11 points.

Guard Richard Brown led Flagler (9-10, 3-9) with 23 points, while Dennis Diaz tallied 18 points and eight rebounds.

Flagler, which never trailed in the contest, jumped out to an early 14-8 lead.  The Patriots quickly rallied to knot the score at 14-14 after a pair of free throws by Mykel Harris with 12:37 left in the half.

The Saints pulled away to a 25-17 advantage, but again FMU rallied to tie the game, this time at 28-28 following a Tyler Deihl bucket.  A three-pointer by Deihl again tied the game at 31-31 with 3:01 remaining in the half.  The Saints held a 38-35 lead at intermission.

The margin expanded to 50-41, but the Patriots crept back to within 52-48.  Six straight points by the Saints pushed the lead to double digits for the first time, 58-48. The deficit was 13 points (69-56) with 4:54 left in the game.  Two free throws by Jones and a three-pointer by Luka Zivkovic trimmed the lead to 69-61 with four minutes on the clock.

Neither team would score over the next 2:32.  Two free throws by the Saints finally changed the scoreboard with 1:28 remaining and again made the margin double figures.  An 8-1 run by FMU, capped by a Gary three-pointer, got the Patriots to within one possession at 72-69 with 46 ticks remaining.

Another basket by Gary got Francis Marion to within 74-71 with seven seconds left, but Lydell Manigo clinched the win with a free throw on the following possession.

FMU shot 36.7 percent from the field, including 10-of-27 from three-point range.  The Patriots committed only seven turnovers.  The Saints shot 43.1 percent from the field and were 12-of-33 from long range.  

2-1-14 3:55 p.m. at St. Augustine, Fla. (Flagler Gym)
FLAGLER 75, FRANCIS MARION 71
FRANCIS MARION (7-11, 4-8 PBC)
Dustin Jones 6-15 6-6 21; Evrik Gary 4-9 2-2 12; Robert Carpenter 3-9 4-4
11; Tyler Deihl 2-5 2-2 7; Trevonte Dixon 3-7 0-0 7; Luka Zivkovic 2-6 0-0
6; Clark Major 2-8 1-2 5; Mykel Harris 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 22-60 17-18 71.
FLAGLER (9-10, 3-9 PBC)
Richard Brown 8-11 2-4 23; Dennis Diaz 6-13 2-5 18; Jerrell Oxendine 4-10
2-2 13; Desmond Gibson 2-3 3-5 7; Keith Matthews 3-7 0-0 6; Kessler Bell 1-5
2-2 4; Lydell Manigo 0-2 2-4 2; Matt Conway 1-6 0-0 2; Adam Jones 0-1 0-0 0.
Totals 25-58 13-22 75.
Halftime: Flagler 38 Francis Marion 35
3-point goals--Francis Marion 10-27 (Dustin Jones 3-9; Luka Zivkovic 2-4;
Evrik Gary 2-4; Robert Carpenter 1-3; Tyler Deihl 1-3; Trevonte Dixon 1-4),
Flagler 12-33 (Richard Brown 5-7; Dennis Diaz 4-9; Jerrell Oxendine 3-8;
Kessler Bell 0-3; Matt Conway 0-4; Adam Jones 0-1; Keith Matthews 0-1).
Fouled out--Francis Marion-Robert Carpenter, Flagler-None. Rebounds--Francis
Marion 36 (Clark Major 8; Dustin Jones 8), Flagler 40 (Dennis Diaz 8).
Assists--Francis Marion 13 (Robert Carpenter 4; Evrik Gary 4), Flagler 13
(Dennis Diaz 4). Total fouls--Francis Marion 19, Flagler 11. Technical fouls--None. A-214