FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore swingman Mike Davis Jr. tallied career-high totals of 32 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists as Francis Marion University raced past Southern Wesleyan University 110-71, Tuesday evening (Dec. 15) in non-conference men's basketball action.

Francis Marion opens Peach Belt Conference play on Thursday at the University of Montevallo.  Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. central time.  FMU has opened its season 7-1 for the second consecutive year and has won its last six contests.

The next home game for the Patriots will be Jan. 2 against Columbus State University.

Davis Jr. connected on 10-of-14 field goal attempts, including 6-of-9 from behind the three-point arc, and was 6-of-7 at the foul line.  Sophomore point guard Detrek Browning scored 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting, and grabbed six rebounds and handed out five assists.  Junior guard Alante Fenner added 19 points and a career-high eight assists.

All eleven Patriots who played scratched in the scoring column.

Freshman forward DJ Dobson led Southern Wesleyan (1-11) with 16 points, while senior Jamaral Kearse chipped in 14 points.

Coming off a two-week layoff for exams, the Patriots did not look rusty as they hit on eight of their first nine shots and sped to a 20-7 advantage.  Following a SWU bucket by Dobson, Francis Marion exploded for a 22-2 run that expanded the lead to 42-11 with 6:56 left before halftime.  FMU led 56-32 at intermission after shooting 62.9 percent from the floor over the opening 20 minutes.

The margin never dipped below 20 minute during the second stanza.  A pair of charity tosses by Davis Jr. with 3:47 remaining gave Francis Marion its largest lead at 100-58.

For the game, FMU shot 57.4 percent from the field, including 12-of-23 from long range, and the Patriots were 20-of-26 at the free throw stripe.  Southern Wesleyan connected on 37.9 percent of its shots, was 10-of-23 from three-point territory, and was 11-of-20 at the foul line.

The Patriots held commanding margins of 50-22 in points-in-the-paint, 31-13 in points-off-turnovers, and 38-12 in fast-break points.

12-15-15 7 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 110, SOUTHERN WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY 71
SOUTHERN WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY (1-11)
DJ Dobson 6-11 4-7 16; Jamaral Kearse 5-10 0-0 14; Jeremy Wert 1-7 5-6 8;
Zach Watson 3-6 0-0 8; Justice McCullough 3-9 0-0 6; Tyus Gaines 2-4 0-0 5;
Jemiah Wimphrie 2-6 0-1 4; De'Quan Weldon 1-4 2-5 4; Colton Ayers 1-4 0-0 3;
Jerome Wimphrie 1-1 0-0 3; Chandler Harrison 0-3 0-0 0; Zalan Richards 0-1
0-1 0. Totals 25-66 11-20 71.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (7-1)
Mike Davis Jr. 10-14 6-7 32; Detrek Browning 10-13 0-0 23; Alante Fenner
7-14 4-7 19; Mykel Harris 2-5 4-4 9; Samson Nnaji 3-4 0-2 6; Kenneth Jackson
3-5 0-0 6; Judah Alexander 1-2 2-2 4; David Jerome 1-2 2-2 4; Filipp
Burnashov 1-5 0-0 3; Alex Bryant 1-1 0-0 2; Nick Talko 0-3 2-2 2. Totals
39-68 20-26 110.
Halftime: Francis Marion 56 Southern Wesleyan 32
3-point goals--Southern Wesleyan University 10-23 (Jamaral Kearse 4-7; Zach
Watson 2-4; Colton Ayers 1-1; Jeremy Wert 1-5; Jerome Wimphrie 1-1; Tyus
Gaines 1-2; De'Quan Weldon 0-2; Jemiah Wimphrie 0-1), Francis Marion
University 12-23 (Mike Davis Jr. 6-9; Detrek Browning 3-4; Filipp Burnashov
1-5; Alante Fenner 1-2; Mykel Harris 1-2; Nick Talko 0-1). Fouled
out--Southern Wesleyan University-None, Francis Marion University-None.
Rebounds--Southern Wesleyan University 33 (Justice McCullough 6), Francis
Marion University 48 (Mike Davis Jr. 9). Assists--Southern Wesleyan
University 16 (De'Quan Weldon 4; Tyus Gaines 4), Francis Marion University
26 (Alante Fenner 8). Total fouls--Southern Wesleyan University 18, Francis
Marion University 19. Technical fouls--Southern Wesleyan University-None,
Francis Marion University-None. A-176