FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University came up with three defensive stops – one at the end of regulation and two at the end of overtime – to allow the Patriots to pick up an 84-83 victory over USC Aiken, Saturday afternoon (Jan. 23) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.

Francis Marion wins for the fourth time in its last six PBC contests to improve to 11-7 overall and 4-6 in the conference.  The Patriots are tied for third in the East Division standings.

WATCH THE GAME REPLAY

FMU will travel to long-time rival Lander University on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off, before returning home to entertain Georgia College on Jan. 30 at 3:30 p.m.

Junior guard Alante Fenner came off the Patriot bench to score a game-high 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, dished out eight assists, and grabbed six rebounds.  Sophomore point guard Detrek Browning tallied 19 points, seven assists, and five rebounds, while sophomore swingmen Mike Davis Jr. and A.J. Jackson added 13 and 11 points respectively.

Freshman guard Andrew Glover came off the Pacer bench to score a career-high 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting from behind the three-point arc.  Keith Belfield added 16 points for USCA (3-14, 1-9), while Arbry Butler scored 15 points.

USCA owned possession of the ball at the end of regulation with the scored tied at 77-77, but the Patriots knocked away a pass from Pacer point guard Jevon Patton and the horn sounded as the ball went out of bounds.

In the overtime session, sophomore Judah Alexander's tip in with 1:46 remaining gave FMU the lead for good at 84-83.  Again the Pacers had the ball as the clock wound down, but FMU deflected a pass by senior forward Tavares Sledge out of bounds with 2.1 seconds left on the clock.  On the ensuing in-bounds pass, Alexander spiked the ball down court and the horn sounded allowing a Smith University crowd of 952 to celebrate the exciting win.  The victory snapped an eight-game skid against the Pacers.

USC Aiken used a 21-10 run in the opening half to take a 41-28 lead with three minutes left before halftime.  However, FMU closed the stanza on a 9-0 run to narrow the deficit to 41-37 at intermission.  Fenner accounted for seven of the nine points.

A three-pointer by Davis Jr. to open the second half concluded a 12-0 FMU run and brought the Patriots to within 41-40.  USCA responded by opening a 53-44 advantage with 14:15 on the clock, but FMU answered with a 10-1 spurt to knot the score at 54-54 following a lay-in by Alexander.

The Pacers scored the contest's next seven points, but FMU again rallied, this time taking a 64-63 lead after a three-pointer by Browning.  USCA regained the lead and led 75-71 with three minute remaining in regulation.  A three-pointer by Davis Jr. trimmed the margin to one, and after a layup by Belfield, Fenner drained two free throws with 1:40 left to bring the Patriots to within 77-76. Fenner made one of two free throws with 41 ticks left to tie the game at 77-77 setting the stage for FMU's stop that forced overtime.

In overtime, Butler hit two free throws and tipped in a Sledge miss giving USCA an 81-77 advantage. A three-pointer by Jackson and a fast-break lay-in by Davis Jr. put FMU up 82-81. The Pacers regained the lead on an inside hoop by Butler, before Alexander scored the final bucket on a tip-in.

FMU shot 49.2 percent from the floor, including 13-of-27 on three-point attempts, and was 9-of-16 at the free throw line.  The Patriots held a 29-4 advantage in fast-break points and led 41-19 in bench scoring.

USC Aiken connected on 30-of-64 shots from the floor (46.9 percent), including a 15-of-30 effort from long range. The 15 made there-point buckets were the third most in school history – and one shy of tying the school record.  

1-23-16 3:40 pm at Florence, Sc (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 84, USC AIKEN 83
USC AIKEN (3-14, 1-9 PBC)
Andrew Glover 6-7 0-0 18; Keith Belfield 6-17 0-0 16; Arbry Butler 6-10 3-4
15; Hendrix Emu 4-4 3-3 12; Jevon Patton 5-10 0-0 12; Tavares Sledge 3-14
1-2 9; Gavin Stephenson 0-2 1-3 1; Glen Campbell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-64
8-12 83.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (11-7 , 4-6 PBC)
Alante Fenner 8-15 5-8 24; Detrek Browning 7-11 1-2 19; Mike Davis Jr. 5-12
0-0 13; A.J. Jackson 4-10 0-0 11; Judah Alexander 4-5 1-2 9; Kenneth Jackson
2-4 0-0 4; Samson Nnaji 1-1 0-0 2; Brandon Parker 0-0 2-2 2; Alex Bryant 0-3
0-0 0; Mykel Harris 0-2 0-2 0. Totals 31-63 9-16 84.
Halftime: USCA 41 FMU 37. Regulation 77-77.
3-point goals--USC Aiken 15-30 (Andrew Glover 6-7; Keith Belfield 4-11;
Jevon Patton 2-6; Tavares Sledge 2-4; Hendrix Emu 1-1; Gavin Stephenson
0-1), Francis Marion University 13-27 (Detrek Browning 4-4; A.J. Jackson
3-9; Mike Davis Jr. 3-8; Alante Fenner 3-6). Fouled out--USC Aiken-None,
Francis Marion University-None. Rebounds--USC Aiken 34 (Tavares Sledge 14),
Francis Marion University 34 (Alante Fenner 6). Assists--USC Aiken 21
(Tavares Sledge 7), Francis Marion University 19 (Alante Fenner 8). Total
fouls--USC Aiken 16, Francis Marion University 17. Technical fouls--None. A-952
Charges drawn: Emu, Sledge 2