SAVANNAH, GA – Armstrong State University used a 16-3 run late in the second half to take the lead and then withstood four potential game-tying shots by Francis Marion University in the final 20 seconds to take a key 81-79 win over the Patriots, Wednesday night (Feb. 10) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.

Francis Marion falls to 15-9 overall and 7-8 in the PBC, but more importantly the Patriots fall into a tie with UNC Pembroke for fourth place in the East Division standings and in positioning for the final berth in the conference tournament.  FMU had won six of its last seven contests.

FMU will play at Georgia Southwestern State University on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., before returning home to entertain Augusta University on Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Sophomore Mike Davis Jr. led Francis Marion with 31 points – one shy of his career high.  The Brunswick, Ga., native connected on 10-of-19 shots, including six three-pointers.  Sophomore Detrek Browning added 16 points, while junior guard Alante Fenner chipped in 10.  Junior 6-6 forward Samson Nnaji posted career-high totals of seven points and 10 rebounds.

Armstrong State (10-12, 8-7) was led by guard Nicholas Scott with 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting from behind the three-point line.  Herbert Graham scored 14 points, all in the final eight minutes, and Ethan Mackey also tallied 14 points.

The late Pirate run erased a 69-65 Francis Marion lead and put Armstrong State on top 81-72 with one minute remaining.

Davis Jr. then drained back-to-back three-pointers to trim the margin to 81-78 with 34 ticks on the clock.  On the ensuing possession, senior Mykel Harris came up with a steal and Francis Marion launched three potential game-tying three-pointers and a two-pointer before Harris was fouled with 1.8 seconds left.  He banked in the first free throw and missed the second attempt which was rebounded by Browning, but his stick-back attempt at the horn was off the mark.

Francis Marion raced to an early 20-8 lead thanks to 10 points from Davis Jr. and a 6-of-10 shooting start.  The lead was 11 at 24-13 after two free throws by Fenner and the margin was still double figures, 26-16 following a lay-in by Harris with 8:05 left before halftime.

However, Armstrong State scored eight straight points to draw within 26-24 as Scott drained a three-pointer.  FMU would re-group and led 31-26 with 4:03 on the clock, but the Pirates ran off five consecutive points to knot the contest at 31-31 with 2:08 remaining.

Francis Marion held the Pirates scoreless for the remainder of the half, and thanks to a pair of buckets by Davis Jr., carried a 35-31 advantage into the locker room at intermission.

The Patriots continued to hold the lead in the second stanza, including an 8-point margin at 55-47 after a Harris layup with 11:04 remaining.  Armstrong State rallied to tie the game at 65-65, but inside hoops by Davis Jr. and Nnaji put FMU up 69-65.

Francis Marion shot 41.4 percent from the floor, was 8-of-27 on three-point attempts, and hit 13-of-18 free throws.  The Pirates connected on 50 percent of their shots, including 12-of-25 from beyond the arc, and was 11-of-13 at the foul line.  FMU did outrebound the Pirates 42-33.