Box Score YOUNG HARRIS, GA – Junior Khai Chandler scored 19 and junior forward Briana Burgins posted her second consecutive double-double as Francis Marion University registered one of its biggest come-from-behind wins as the Patriots downed Young Harris College 72-65, Monday afternoon (Dec. 19) in the Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.
Francis Marion (5-4) trailed by 20 points in the second quarter, but rallied to even its conference record at 1-1. The Patriots now enter the NCAA Division II Christmas break and will return to action on Dec. 29 at home against Shaw University with a 4 p.m. tip-off.
Burgins scored 17 points, hauled down a season-high 15 rebounds, and handed out seven assists en route to her eighth career double-double. Sophomore Shaunice Fulmore added 15 points and senior point guard TeTe Flowers contributed eight points and seven assists despite battling foul trouble.
Meredith Tarver led Young Harris (5-4, 1-1) with 19 points, while Briana Bell scored 14 and Jenny Vernet added 12 points and 10 rebounds.
FMU took advantage of a large advantage at the free throw line. Both teams took 20 free throws, but FMU connected on 16 and the Mountain Lions only eight. The Patriots also held a decisive 51-37 rebounding edge.
Young Harris scored the game's first seven points and held a 19-6 lead after 10 minutes as the Patriots managed to hit only 3-of-16 shots in the opening quarter.
The margin swelled to 28-8 with 8:35 left before halftime following a three-pointer by Bell. The lead was 18 points (32-14) with 5:46 on the clock, but FMU responded with a 13-1 run to close the first stanza. Chandler fueled the spurt with seven points.
The momentum continued in the Patriots' favor as Francis Marion opened the third period with a 9-2 spurt, taking its first lead at 36-35 on a layup by Burgins. The Mountain Lions answered with eight straight points to go back on top at 43-36. Young Harris held a slim 47-46 advantage heading into the final quarter.
FMU trailed 52-48, but a three-pointer by Chandler and a three-point play by Fulmore forged the game's only tie at 54-54 with 8:03 remaining. Burgins hit two free throws to give Francis Marion the lead for good at 56-54 and eventually a jump shot in the paint by Fulmore completed a 12-1 Patriot spurt that produced a 63-55 advantage. The margin never again dropped below two possessions.
Francis Marion connected 40 percent of its field goal attempts and was 4-of-14 from three-point distance, while Young Harris shot 40.6 percent and was 5-of-19 from beyond the arc.
12/19/16 Noon at YHC Basketball Arena | Young Harris, Ga.
FRANCIS MARION 72, YOUNG HARRIS 65
FRANCIS MARION (5-4 , 1-1 PBC)
Khai Chandler 7-16 2-2 19; Briana Burgins 6-14 5-5 17; Shaunice Fulmore 6-19
3-3 15; TeTe Flowers 2-3 4-8 8; Keanua Williams 2-6 0-0 5; Kristin Tines 1-1
2-2 4; Abigail Bullock 1-5 0-0 2; Emma Owens 1-1 0-0 2; Tatyana McClaney 0-0
0-0 0; Lauryn Bush 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-65 16-20 72.
YOUNG HARRIS (5-4 , 1-1 PBC)
Meredith Tarver 8-20 3-7 19; Briana Bell 5-13 0-0 14; Jenny Vernet 5-8 2-4
12; Bria Ratliff 3-7 3-5 10; Sarah Reid 4-4 0-2 8; Sara Jorgensen 1-8 0-0 2;
Jada Williams 0-0 0-0 0; Meghan McQuade 0-0 0-0 0; Dyiesha Brown 0-4 0-2 0.
Totals 26-64 8-20 65.
Francis Marion................ 6 21 19 26 - 72
Young Harris.................. 19 14 14 18 - 65
3-point goals--Francis Marion 4-14 (Khai Chandler 3-7; Keanua Williams 1-3;
Shaunice Fulmore 0-2; Abigail Bullock 0-1; Briana Burgins 0-1), Young Harris
5-19 (Briana Bell 4-10; Bria Ratliff 1-2; Sara Jorgensen 0-3; Dyiesha Brown
0-1; Meredith Tarver 0-3). Fouled out--Francis Marion-None, Young
Harris-Jenny Vernet. Rebounds--Francis Marion 51 (Briana Burgins 15), Young
Harris 37 (Jenny Vernet 10). Assists--Francis Marion 20 (TeTe Flowers 7;
Briana Burgins 7), Young Harris 20 (Bria Ratliff 14). Total fouls--Francis
Marion 21, Young Harris 20. Technical fouls--None. A-813
