FLORENCE, SC – Senior forward Mykel Harris scored a season-high 21 points and helped lead a sizzling first-half shooting performance as Francis Marion University ran past St. Andrews University for a 95-75 non-conference win, Monday evening (Nov. 30) in men's basketball action.

Francis Marion improves to 6-1 with its fifth straight victory.  The Patriots will return to the court after final exams when they play host to Southern Wesleyan University at 7 p.m. on Dec. 15.

WATCH THE GAME REPLAY

Harris, a 6-7 forward, came off the Patriot bench on Monday and connected on 7-of-9 field goal attempts and 6-of-7 free throws.  His point total was only three shy of his career high.  He also hauled down six rebounds.

Junior guard Alante Fenner followed Harris as he tallied 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists.  Sophomore backcourt teammates Detrek Browning and Mike Davis Jr. each scored 17 points, with Browning pulling down seven rebounds and handing out four assists.  Earlier in the day, Browning was named the Peach Belt Conference AstroTurf Player of the Week for Nov. 23-29.

Davis registered five rebounds and four assists, while draining 5-of-9 three-point attempts.

Junior guard Titus Gary led St. Andrews (2-4) with 23 points, 21 of which came after halftime.  Junior guard Lee Vanderhorst and junior forward Jeff Gulley added 16 points apiece, with Gulley also recording a game-high nine rebounds.

Junior 6-8 center Kenneth Jackson scored  on an inside hoop to cap Francis Marion's first possession and the Patriots would never trail.  FMU connected on nine of its first 13 field goal attempts and led 22-10 after only six-and-a-half minutes.

FMU led by as many as 31 on two occasions in the opening half before settling for a 51-21 advantage at intermission.  The Patriots shot 58.8 percent from the floor over the opening 20 minutes.

The Patriots;' largest lead of the night came at 63-29 after a Browning fast-break layup with 16:55 remaining. A 19-2 run by St. Andrews midway through the second stanza trimmed the margin to 16 points at 79-63.  The Patriots then restored order via two free throws by Harris and a three-pointer by Browning.

After its hot-shooting first half, FMU cooled somewhat over the final 20 minutes to finish the game at 47.4 percent from the field, including 10-of-26 three-point attempts.  The Patriots were 13-of-16 at the free throw line.  The Knights connected on 39.7 percent of their field goal attempts, were 7-of-20 from behind the arc, and managed only 10-of-22 charity tosses.

11-30-15 7 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 95, ST. ANDREWS UNIVERSITY 75
ST. ANDREWS UNIVERSITY (2-4)
Titus Gary 8-15 5-6 23; Jeff Gulley 8-16 0-4 16; Lee Vanderhorst 5-14 3-4
16; Alex Tharp 5-8 0-0 12; Bryan Brache 1-4 0-0 2; KwaSean McCaskell 1-6 0-0
2; Jibri Banner 1-2 0-0 2; Tahj Scott 0-5 1-2 1; Jordan Sharpe 0-3 1-6 1;
Walt Smalls Jr. 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-73 10-22 75.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (6-1)
Mykel Harris 7-9 6-7 21; Alante Fenner 6-14 5-5 18; Mike Davis Jr. 6-14 0-1
17; Detrek Browning 8-14 0-0 17; Judah Alexander 3-4 2-2 8; Nick Talko 2-7
0-0 6; Kenneth Jackson 2-6 0-0 4; David Jerome 1-1 0-0 2; Brandon Parker 1-3
0-0 2; Alex Bryant 0-0 0-1 0; Samson Nnaji 0-2 0-0 0; Filipp Burnashov 0-2
0-0 0. Totals 36-76 13-16 95.
Halftime: Francis Marion 51 St. Andrews 21
3-point goals--St. Andrews University 7-20 (Lee Vanderhorst 3-4; Alex Tharp
2-3; Titus Gary 2-6; KwaSean McCaskell 0-2; Tahj Scott 0-3; Jordan Sharpe
0-1; Bryan Brache 0-1), Francis Marion University 10-26 (Mike Davis Jr. 5-9;
Nick Talko 2-4; Mykel Harris 1-2; Detrek Browning 1-5; Alante Fenner 1-3;
Filipp Burnashov 0-2; Brandon Parker 0-1). Fouled out--St. Andrews
University-None, Francis Marion University-None. Rebounds--St. Andrews
University 40 (Jeff Gulley 9), Francis Marion University 47 (Detrek Browning
7). Assists--St. Andrews University 13 (Jibri Banner 5), Francis Marion
University 20 (Alante Fenner 5). Total fouls--St. Andrews University 15,
Francis Marion University 17. Technical fouls--Francis Marion bench, Detrek Browning. A-637