Box Score SAVANNAH, GA – Armstrong State University used a 10-1 run midway through the second half to pull away for a 77-60 win over Francis Marion University, Saturday afternoon (Jan. 10) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.
Francis Marion (5-9, 3-3) sees its modest two-game winning streak snapped. The Patriots will step out of conference play on Monday evening for a 5:30 p.m. tilt against Allen University. The contest will be the first of three home games for FMU next week.
Freshman Khayani Chandler led the Patriots with 18 points. She connected on 6-of-11 shots, including 4-of-5 three-point attempts. Unfortunately, the rest of the Patriots were 0-for-8 from beyond the arc.
FMU freshman Briana Burgins scored 11 points and junior center Alaysia Watts added 10 points – her first-ever back-to-back double-figure scoring efforts. Junior guard Camille Dash scored nine points in her return to her hometown, and freshman forward Stephanie Brown chipped in eight points and 10 rebounds.
Guard Dee Hayward paced the Pirates (6-7, 4-2) with 18 points, including four three-pointers, while Brigitta Barta registered 17 points and nine rebounds.
Francis Marion held an early 9-7 lead, but Armstrong took the lead for good by scoring the game's next 11 points. The margin reached double digits at 28-18, but the Patriots rallied to within 32-28 after a pair of free throws by freshman Emily Green with 3:19 left before halftime. The Pirates scored the final three points of the stanza to lead 35-28 at intermission.
Armstrong tallied the opening six points of the second half to extend its advantage to 41-28, but a 10-0 run by FMU trimmed the deficit to a single basket, 45-43, with 14:25 remaining. A three-pointer by Chandler capped the rally.
However, the Pirates answered with the decisive 10-1 run, and Francis Marion never got closer than eight points for the rest of the contest.
Francis Marion shot 33.3 percent from the field compared to 47.6 percent for the Pirates. Armstrong held a 47-36 rebounding advantage and a 19-6 lead in second-chance points. Despite forcing two more turnovers than they committed, the Patriots did not take advantage and also trailed in points-off-turnovers at 23-14.
1-10-15 1:30 PM at Savannah, GA
ARMSTRONG 77, FRANCIS MARION 60
FRANCIS MARION (5-9, 3-3 PBC)
Khayani Chandler 6-11 2-2 18; Briana Burgins 2-5 7-8 11; Alaysia Watts 4-13
2-2 10; Camille Dash 4-9 1-3 9; Stephanie Brown 3-11 2-6 8; Courtney Wood
1-2 0-0 2; Emily Green 0-2 2-2 2; Mariah Johnson 0-2 0-0 0; Danielle Pray
0-0 0-0 0; De'Ana Turner 0-0 0-0 0; Cy'erra Mills 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 20-60
16-23 60.
ARMSTRONG (6-7, 4-2 PBC)
Hayward,Dee 6-12 2-2 18; Barta,Brigitta 8-19 1-3 17; Howell,Amber 6-9 3-5
15; Harris,Shermika 3-10 4-4 10; Somerset,Alexia 3-4 1-1 7; Schoonover,Lexy
2-5 0-0 5; Raymonville,Machala 1-2 1-4 3; Joy,Shakeia 1-1 0-0 2;
McCrosson,Shannon 0-0 0-1 0; Johnson,Amber 0-0 0-0 0; Findura,Nichole 0-1
0-0 0. Totals 30-63 12-20 77.
Halftime: Armstrong 35 Francis Marion 28
3-point goals--Francis Marion 4-13 (Khayani Chandler 4-5; Briana Burgins
0-1; Alaysia Watts 0-3; Emily Green 0-1; Mariah Johnson 0-2; Cy'erra Mills
0-1), Armstrong 5-18 (Hayward,Dee 4-9; Schoonover,Lexy 1-3; Harris,Shermika
0-6). Fouled out--Francis Marion-None, Armstrong-None. Rebounds--Francis
Marion 36 (Stephanie Brown 10), Armstrong 47 (Barta,Brigitta 9).
Assists--Francis Marion 10 (Briana Burgins 3), Armstrong 21 (Harris,Shermika
5; Johnson,Amber 5). Total fouls--Francis Marion 16, Armstrong 20. Technical
fouls--None. A-212
