FLORENCE, SC – Lander University held Francis Marion University to a lone free throw over the final 3:29 and the Lady Bearcats closed on a 7-1 run to claim a 64-61 win over the Patriots, Saturday afternoon (March 1) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.

Francis Marion ends its season at 13-13 overall and 7-12 in the PBC for the second straight year.  A win on Saturday would have given FMU a berth in next week's PBC Tournament in Columbus, Ga.

Senior forward Kim Roach led Francis Marion with 12 points and six rebounds, while junior guard Briana Robinson added 11 points and six assists and junior forward Alexia Bell 10 points.

Prior to the Senior Day contest, Francis Marion honored Roach, forward Dee Gray, and guard Erin Pinkett.  Gray and Pinkett scored nine points apiece with Gray pulling down a team-high nine rebounds.

Forwards Portia McCray with 15 points and 10 rebounds and Alexis Armstrong with 14 points and 11 rebounds both posted double-doubles to lead Lander (12-16, 7-12).

A three-point play by Bell with 3:30 left gave FMU a 60-57 advantage.  FMU missed its final seven field goal attempts and did not score again until Gray hit 1-of-2 free throws with five second lefts to trim the Lady Bearcat lead to 63-61.  Lander's Alyssia Watkins hit 1-of-2 free throws with four seconds remaining, but after her second attempt miss, FMU was unable to get a good three-point attempt to tie.

Francis Marion shot 36.4 percent from the field, including 4-of-11 on three-point attempts, and was 17-of-22 at the foul line.  Lander connected on 38.9 percent of its shots, including 6-of-18 from long range, and hit 16-of-29 at the charity stripe.

Lander led the entire first half.  The Lady Bearcat advantage reached as high as nine points (20-11) before the half ended with Lander holding a 31-25 lead.

An 11-2 spurt by the Patriots to open the second stanza gave Francis Marion its first lead. However, Lander answered with its own 9-2 run to go back on top 42-38 with 12:52 left in the contest. The Lady Bearcat lead would grow to six, at 54-48 before the Patriots rallied with seven straight points to lead 55-54 after a free throw by Roach with 5:03 remaining.

3-1-14 1:30 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
LANDER UNIVERSITY 64, FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 61
LANDER UNIVERSITY (12-16, 7-12 PBC)
Portia McCray 6-12 3-6 15; Alexis Armstrong 4-11 5-10 14; Kayla West 3-8 4-7
12; Ebonie Hudson 3-8 0-0 8; Sakezia Kelly 2-2 2-2 6; Ty'hesha Reynolds 2-7
0-0 5; Alyssia Watkins 1-5 2-4 4; Zaneta Kubicka 0-0 0-0 0; Ariel Parker 0-1
0-0 0. Totals 21-54 16-29 64.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (13-13, 7-12 PBC)
Kim Roach 4-8 4-5 12; Briana Robinson 4-9 2-2 11; Alexia Bell 3-9 4-6 10;
Erin Pinkett 3-8 0-0 9; Dee Gray 3-9 3-4 9; Chelsea Dukes 1-3 2-3 4; Camille
Dash 1-5 2-2 4; Cy'erra Mills 1-3 0-0 2; Lauren Woods 0-1 0-0 0; Alaysia
Watts 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-55 17-22 61.
Halftime: Lander 31 Francis Marion 25
3-point goals--Lander University 6-18 (Kayla West 2-6; Ebonie Hudson 2-6;
Alexis Armstrong 1-2; Ty'hesha Reynolds 1-4), Francis Marion University 4-11
(Erin Pinkett 3-5; Briana Robinson 1-3; Dee Gray 0-1; Camille Dash 0-1;
Cy'erra Mills 0-1). Fouled out--Lander University-None, Francis Marion
University-Alexia Bell. Rebounds--Lander University 41 (Alexis Armstrong
11), Francis Marion University 32 (Dee Gray 9). Assists--Lander University
14 (Sakezia Kelly 3; Ebonie Hudson 3; Ty'hesha Reynolds 3), Francis Marion
University 13 (Briana Robinson 6). Total fouls--Lander University 21,
Francis Marion 23. Technical fouls--None. A-724