FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University missed two potential game-winning three-pointers in the final 10 seconds of overtime and the Patriots fell 84-82 to Augusta University, Wednesday night (Feb. 17) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.

It marked the third consecutive game, FMU has had multiple shots on its final possession to tie or win a contest, but all the Patriots (15-11, 7-10) have to show is three tough losses by a combined nine points.  The Patriots remain one game behind fourth-place Armstrong State University in the race for the final PBC Tournament berth.

FMU will play its final road game of the 2015-16 season on Saturday night (7:30 p.m.) at USC Aiken.  The Patriots will then entertain UNC Pembroke for Senior Night on Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Sophomore swingman Mike Davis Jr. led the Patriots with 27 points, including six three-pointers.  The Brunswick, Ga., native has tallied 77 in the past three games.  Sophomore guard Detrek Browning scored 23 points and is now only eight points shy of the 1,000-point mark for his career.  Junior guard Alante Fenner added 15 points, nine assists, and four steals.

Senior forward Tommy Williams paced Augusta (14-10, 10-7) with 29 points and 11 rebounds, while junior guard Keshun Sherrill tallied 24 points and eight rebounds.

Two free throws by Fenner and a one by Kenneth Jackson gave Francis Marion an 82-80 lead with one minute left in overtime.  Augusta's Tyvez Monroe drained a three-pointer from the left corner with 44 ticks on the clock to put the Jaguars up 83-82.  On the ensuing possession, FMU turned the ball over and Sherrill made 1-of-2 free throws with 14 seconds remaining.  Both A.J. Jackson and Davis Jr. had potential game-winning three-pointers that did not drop on the Patriots' last possession.

The game featured 16 lead changes and 10 ties.

The Jaguars led by as many as nine (19-10) in the early going, but Francis Marion rallied and took its first lead at 26-24 on a fast-break layup by Browning.  The lead see-sawed back and forth until Sherrill converted a lay-in with eight seconds left before halftime to put Augusta ahead 39-37.

Augusta opened up an 11-point margin on two occasions in the second half, the final time at 50-39 at the 15:46 mark.  A 20-9 run by the Patriots produced a one-point lead for the home team, thanks to a pair of free throws by Browning.

Over the final 11 minutes of regulation, the teams were never separated by more than four points.  Sherrill made one of two foul shots with 24 seconds remaining in regulation to knot the score at 76-76.  Fenner then missed on a jumper in the lane with three ticks left and the squads headed to the extra session.

Francis Marion shot 37.9 percent from the floor, was 12-of-32 from three-point territory, and made 26-of-39 free throws.  Augusta connected on 41.2 percent of its shots, was 5-of-18 from beyond the arc, and hit 23-of-31 charity tosses.

2-17-16 7:50 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY 84, FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 82
AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY (14-10, 10-7 PBC)
Tommy Williams 12-17 5-8 29; Keshun Sherrill 5-12 13-15 24; Tamyrik Fields
5-11 1-2 11; Tyvez Monroe 3-7 1-2 10; Ja'Shawn Brooks 1-5 2-2 4; Keith Crump
1-7 0-0 3; Deane Williams 1-2 0-0 2; Trevor Foreman 0-3 1-2 1; Aaron Byrd
0-1 0-0 0; Andrew Parker 0-1 0-0 0; Ben Ursich 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 28-68 23-31
84.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (15-11, 7-10 PBC)
Mike Davis Jr. 8-21 5-7 27; Detrek Browning 7-12 5-6 23; Alante Fenner 2-15
11-15 15; A.J. Jackson 3-5 0-0 8; Samson Nnaji 1-2 1-2 3; Kenneth Jackson
0-1 3-5 3; David Jerome 1-1 0-0 2; Judah Alexander 0-1 1-4 1; Brandon Parker
0-0 0-0 0; Mykel Harris 0-0 0-0 0; Alex Bryant 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-58 26-39 82.
Halftime: Augusta 39 Francis Marion 37. Regulation 76-76.

3-point goals--Augusta University 5-18 (Tyvez Monroe 3-4; Keith Crump 1-3;
Keshun Sherrill 1-6; Trevor Foreman 0-1; Ben Ursich 0-1; Ja'Shawn Brooks
0-3), Francis Marion University 12-32 (Mike Davis Jr. 6-17; Detrek Browning
4-7; A.J. Jackson 2-4; Alante Fenner 0-4). Fouled out--Augusta
University-Deane Williams, Francis Marion University-Judah Alexander.
Rebounds--Augusta University 42 (Tommy Williams 11), Francis Marion
University 39 (David Jerome 8). Assists--Augusta University 21 (Keith Crump
8), Francis Marion University 16 (Alante Fenner 9). Total fouls--Augusta
University 29, Francis Marion University 25. Technical fouls--Judah Alexander. A-916
Charges drawn: D. Williams, T. Williams