GAFFNEY, SC – Senior forward Alaysia Watts registered a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds and sophomore forward Khayani Chandler blocked a potential game-winning shot  with two seconds left allowing Francis Marion University to stun second-seeded Lander University 62- 61, Friday afternoon (March 11) in the quarterfinal round of the 2016 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional women's basketball tournament.

The seventh-seeded Patriots (22-8) capture their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2010 and FMU advances to face third-seeded Columbus State University in Saturday's first semifinal contest at 5 p.m.  CSU defeated Wingate University 79-72 in Friday's opening quarterfinal game.

Post-Game Press Conference           Post-Game Press Conference Transcript

Watts recorded her 11th double-double of the season.  Senior guard Camille Dash scored 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting and handed out three assists before fouling out, while sophomore forward Briana Burgins tallied 10 points and six rebounds.

Chandler chipped in nine points off the bench as the Patriot reserves outscored the Lander bench 18-2.

Senior Bre Crum and sophomore Breshay Johnson led Lander (25-7) with 20 points apiece.  The Bearcats were coming off last weekend's Peach Belt Conference Tournament title run where they won their three games by a combined 38 points.

Francis Marion led 62-55 with 1:22 remaining after two free throws by junior guard TeTe Flowers.  Crum scored the game's next six points to pull the Bearcats to within 62-61 with 10 seconds remaining.  Following a timeout that allowed Francis Marion to advance the ball to midcourt, FMU could not inbound the ball and the five-second call gave the ball back to Lander.

Sophomore Mylea McKenith launched a three-pointer from the right corner, but Chandler blocked the attempt and Watts grabbed the rebound as the final horn sounded.

The game featured eight ties, but Francis Marion trailed on only two occasions for a total of 11 seconds.

A jumper and a three-pointer by Watts broke an early 4-4 deadlock.  A free throw by sophomore Kristin Tines later gave FMU a five-point margin at 15-10, before the first quarter ended with the Patriots holding a 15-12 advantage.

The second quarter featured only a combined 21 points.  Francis Marion held a five-point lead on five occasions in the period before settling for a 25-23 halftime lead.  FMU held Lander to 9-of-34 shooting over the first 20 minutes, including just 1-of-14 from three-point range.

Lander opened the third quarter with two buckets to take its first lead at 27-25, but Burgins quickly tied the score on a lay-in off a feed from Flowers.  Two more inside hoops by Burgins and Watts upped the Patriot margin back to 31-27.  Lander tied the score on three occasions over the next three minutes before a free throw by Johnson put the Bearcats on top 38-37 with 2:51 left in the quarter.

A pair of free throws by Watts and a three-pointer by Chandler gave the Patriots the lead for good at 42-38.  Two more charity tosses by Watts put FMU up 49-43 before a Bearcat free throw cut the margin to 49-44 heading to the final period.

After Lander opened the final quarter with a bucket, Francis Marion scored eight straight points – including four by Dash – to assume its first double-digit lead at 57-46.  Following a Lander miss, on the ensuing FMU possession the Patriots had four shots to expand its lead but could not connect.

Johnson (Lander) and Dash traded buckers to keep the margin at 11 points (59-48) with 5:19 remaining.

Francis Marion shot 36.7 percent from the floor, including 3-of-15 from three-point territory, and was 15-of-18 at the foul line.  The Patriots held Lander to only 33.3 percent from the field, 2-of-25 from behind the three-point arc, and 19-of-24 at the free throw stripe.