YOUNG HARRIS, GA  – The Francis Marion University women's basketball team opened its Peach Belt Conference road game at Young Harris College on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 16) with a 16-2 spurt and from there the Patriots cruised to a 65-44 win.  Senior guard Camille Dash led four Patriots in double digits with 15 points.

Francis Marion ups its overall mark to 14-3 and improves to 5-3 in the PBC, one game out of first place in the East Division standings.  FMU returns to Florence for a two-game homestand beginning with an MLK Day afternoon contest on Monday against the University of North Georgia at 1:30 p.m. in the Smith University Center.

The defensive effort of allowing only 44 points was a season-best for the Patriots and represented the fewest points allowed by FMU in a Peach Belt contest in five seasons.

Coming off a career-high 23-point outing on Wednesday at UNC Pembroke, Dash made 6-of-14 field goal attempts on Saturday, including 3-of-4 from behind the three-point arc, while gabbing seven rebounds and handing out six assists.  The Savannah, Ga., native stands 10 points shy of 700 for her career.

Freshman Shaunice Fulmore followed Dash with 12 points, while sophomore Khayani Chandler added 10 points and senior Alaysia Watts posted her sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Meredith Tarver paced Young Harris (7-8, 2-6) with nine points, while Sarah Garner and Sara Jorgensen each scored six.

After Garner scored the game's opening bucket, Francis Marion ran off 16 consecutive points as five different Patriot scored.  FMU held the Mountain Lions scoreless for over five minutes.  Francis Marion led 18-5 at the conclusion of the first quarter.

The Patriots opened the second period with eight straight points – including back-to-back three-pointers by Dash and junior guard Victoria Dye – to stretch the margin to 26-5.  FMU would lead 33-11 after a Dash three-pointer with 6:24 left before halftime and later 41-19 after two Fulmore free throws with 2:35 on the clock, before settling for a 41-24 advantage at intermission.

Francis Marion struggled in the third quarter, missing 10 of its first 11 field goal attempts and committing four turnovers.  Young Harris closed to within 11 points on one occasion, but the Patriots maintained a 49-37 lead heading to the final quarter.

The Patriots started the final period with a 14-0 spurt – capped by a Briana Burgins' fast-break lay-in – that produced an insurmountable 63-37 lead. During that run, FMU held Young Harris scoreless for nearly eight minutes.

Francis Marion connected on 40.3 percent of its shots, including 8-of-18 three-point attempts, and was 7-of-11 at the foul line.  Young Harris was held to 33.9 percent from the field, was only 2-of-11 from beyond the arc, and made 2-of-4 free throws.