FLORENCE, SC – Jump shots by freshman forward Khayani Chandler and junior forward Alaysia Watts broke a late deadlock and helped Francis Marion University rally from a 14-point deficit over the final 6:56 to claim a 76-73 win over Armstrong State University,  Wednesday night (Feb. 11) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.

Francis Marion captures its second straight win to improve to 8-16 overall and more importantly 5-10 in the PBC.  The Patriots are now in a three-way tie for fourth place in the East Division standings.  The top four teams in each division advance to the PBC post-season tournament.

WATCH THE GAME REPLAY

FMU will play host to Georgia Southwestern State University on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Smith University Center.

Both Chandler and Watts led the Patriots with 18 points and seven rebounds apiece.  The 18-point outing was a career-high for Watts.  Freshman Briana Burgins added 12 points – 11 coming in the second half – with seven rebounds and five assists.  Senior point guard Cy'erra Mills scored 11 and handed out six assists while committing no turnovers.

Junior guard Shermika Harris and sophomore forward Brigitta Barta led Armstrong State (11-11, 9-6) with 24 points each.  Sophomore 6-2 center Nichole Findura added 10 points and eight rebounds in a reserve role. Barta, who also came off the Pirate bench, also hauled down eight boards.

Francis Marion took an early 17-8 lead, but Armstrong State answered with 12-1 run to assume a 20-18 advantage.  After a lay-up by Watts knotted the score at 20-20 with 8:53 left in the first stanza, the Pirates held FMU without a field goal for the next six minutes while taking a 34-23 lead.

Altogether after the 20-20 deadlock, Armstrong State outscored FMU 23-9 to end the half and take a 43-29 margin into the locker room at intermission.

Armstrong State shot 57.7 percent from the floor over the opening 20 minutes, but the Patriots tightened up the defense in the second half.  Francis Marion gradually clawed to within three points, 51-48, after a fast-break bucket by Chandler with 12:52 remaining.

However, the Pirates pulled back out to a double-digit lead, and following two free throws by Dee Hayward with 6:56 left, the advantage was back to the halftime margin of 14 at 67-53.

FMU then closed the game on a 23-6 run, holding Armstrong State to 3-of-8 shooting and forcing six turnovers.  Two free throws by Mills capped a 16-2 spurt that tied the contest at 69-69 with 2:23 on the clock.  A lay-in by Armstrong State's Lexy Schoonover tied the score for the final time at 71-71 with 1:26 left.

Chandler then put the Patriots ahead 73-71 with her jumper, and following a steal by Burgins on a Pirate turnover, Watts knocked down a 16-foot step-back jumper that gave FMU a 75-71 lead.  Following an Armstrong State hoop with 11.1 ticks left, Mills was fouled before the inbounds pass and made 1-of-2 free throws to give the Patriots a three-point advantage, 76-73.  On the final possession, Armstrong State could only manage a desperation heave from 35 feet as the clock ran out.

FMU connected on 42.4 percent of its field goal attempts, including 5-of-16 three-pointers, while hitting 15-of-21 free throws.  Armstrong State finished the game shooting 45.6 percent, was 5-of-17 from long range, and made 16-of-19 charity tosses.

FMU forced 24 Pirate miscues that were converted into 26 points.

2-11-15 5:30 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 76, ARMSTRONG STATE UNIV 73
ARMSTRONG STATE UNIV (11-11, 9-6 PBC)
Shermika Harris 8-13 4-4 24; Brigitta Barta 9-12 6-9 24; Nichole Findura 5-7
0-0 10; Dee Hayward 2-10 4-4 9; Alexia Somerset 1-5 0-0 2; Lexy Schoonover
1-5 0-0 2; Amber Howell 0-5 2-2 2; Shannon McCrosson 0-0 0-0 0; Amber
Johnson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-57 16-19 73.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (8-16, 5-10 PBC)
Khayani Chandler 8-21 1-1 18; Alaysia Watts 6-10 4-4 18; Briana Burgins 5-9
2-5 12; Cy'erra Mills 4-9 3-4 11; Camille Dash 2-8 2-2 6; Mariah Johnson 1-2
2-3 5; Stephanie Brown 1-1 1-2 3; Emily Green 1-3 0-0 3; Danielle Pray 0-0
0-0 0; Courtney Wood 0-1 0-0 0; De'Ana Turner 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 28-66 15-21 76.
Halftime: Armstrong State 43 Francis Marion 29
3-point goals--Armstrong State Univ 5-17 (Shermika Harris 4-7; Dee Hayward
1-7; Lexy Schoonover 0-3), Francis Marion University 5-16 (Alaysia Watts
2-2; Khayani Chandler 1-6; Mariah Johnson 1-2; Emily Green 1-3; Cy'erra
Mills 0-3). Fouled out--Armstrong State Univ-None, Francis Marion
University-None. Rebounds--Armstrong State Univ 39 (Brigitta Barta 8;
Nichole Findura 8), Francis Marion University 31 (Briana Burgins 7; Alaysia
Watts 7; Khayani Chandler 7). Assists--Armstrong State Univ 18 (Lexy
Schoonover 5; Amber Johnson 5), Francis Marion University 19 (Cy'erra Mills
6). Total fouls--Armstrong State Univ 17, Francis Marion University 17.
Technical fouls--None. A-816