AIKEN, SC - Francis Marion University overcame an 18-point first-half deficit, but fell four points shy of the USC Aiken Pacers in overtime by a 74-70 score, Saturday night (Jan. 24) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.

FMU (6-13, 3-7) has now dropped its last four conference matches by a combined 16 points.  The Patriots will return home to host long-time rival and division leader Lander University on Wednesday (Jan. 28) at 5:30 p.m.

Junior guard Camille Dash led the way for Francis Marion with 15 points, while freshman forward Khayani Chandler followed with 10 of her own.  Freshman forwards Stephanie Brown and Courtney Wood added eight points apiece, with Brown hauling down a game-high 13 rebounds.

Freshman forward Emry Tsitouris paced four double-figure USCA scorers with 17 points, while junior center Kassy Johannsen and sophomore guards Amaura Brandt and Carly Gilreath all registered 12 points. USCA is 12-7 overall and owns the second-place spot in the East Division of the PBC with an 8-2 mark.

The Patriots scored the opening deuce of the game on a made jumper by Chandler, but never led again in the first half.  A three-pointer by sophomore guard Alexis Ware gave USC Aiken its largest advantage at 25-7. 

FMU would orchestrate a fierce comeback to take a three-point lead in the second half, 50-47, thanks to two consecutive Wood jumpers.  The lead continued to switch hands and the Patriots were able to send the game into overtime when Dash nailed a 13-foot jumper in the lane to tie the game at 64 with only 1.7 seconds remaining in regulation.

Another Dash jumper tied the game at 68 in overtime, but FMU couldn't snatch the lead from USCA in the extra period.  Tsitouris tallied six of USCA's 10 overtime points to seal the game for the Pacers.

The Patriots outrebounded the Pacers 55-41, but Aiken connected on 10 of its 28 three-point attempts, while FMU hit just 4-of-16 from beyond-the-arc. Overall, FMU outshot the Pacers from the floor 39.7 percent to 37.5 percent.  A near 50 percent performance (18-of-38) by the Patriots over the final 20 minutes of regulation fueled the comeback.

1-24-15 5:30 p.m. at Aiken, S.C.; Convocation Center
USC AIKEN 74, Francis Marion 70  OT
FMU (6-13; 3-7)
Camille Dash 7-14 0-1 15; Khayani Chandler 5-10 0-2 10; Courtney Wood 4-7
0-0 8; Stephanie Brown 4-8 0-0 8; Cy'erra Mills 2-8 2-3 7; Alaysia Watts
3-10 0-0 7; Briana Burgins 1-7 4-5 6; Danielle Pray 2-5 0-0 5; Emily Green
1-4 2-2 4; De'Ana Turner 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-73 8-13 70.
USC AIKEN (12-7; 8-2)
Emry Tsitouris 5-12 7-8 17; Kassy Johannsen 6-12 0-1 12; Carly Gilreath 5-8
0-0 12; Amaura Brandt 4-16 0-0 12; Kate Duff 3-8 0-0 8; Mackenzie Reese 2-8
3-4 7; Stephanie Ball 1-5 0-0 3; Alexis Ware 1-2 0-0 3; Tiffany Addison 0-0
0-0 0; Jasmine Coach 0-0 0-0 0; Emily O'Rourke 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-72 10-13 74.
Halftime: USCA 35 FMU 23; Regulation 64-64.
3-point goals--FMU 4-16 (Danielle Pray 1-3; Cy'erra Mills 1-4; Camille Dash
1-1; Alaysia Watts 1-4; Emily Green 0-3; Khayani Chandler 0-1), USC Aiken
10-28 (Amaura Brandt 4-14; Carly Gilreath 2-5; Kate Duff 2-3; Stephanie Ball
1-3; Alexis Ware 1-1; Mackenzie Reese 0-2). Fouled out--None. Rebounds--
FMU 55 (Stephanie Brown 13), USC Aiken 41 (Mackenzie Reese 10). Assists--
FMU 13 (Briana Burgins 3; Cy'erra Mills 3; Camille Dash 3), USC Aiken 20
(Mackenzie Reese 6). Total fouls--FMU 15, USC Aiken 15.
Technical fouls--None. A-2108