Box Score AIKEN, SC – Junior forward Khai Chandler returned from missing three games with an injury and scored a career-high 29 points, but it was not enough for Francis Marion University to avoid dropping a 76-70 decision to USC Aiken, Wednesday evening (Jan. 11) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.
Francis Marion (7-8, 2-4) will play host to 17th-ranked University of North Georgia on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Smith University Center.
Chandler connected on 11-of-24 field goal attempts, including 6-of-14 from beyond the three-point arc. The six three-pointers was only three shy of the Patriot single-game record.
Sophomore Shaunice Fulmore and freshman guard Abigail Bullock each scored 11 points. Junior forward Briana Burgins tallied seven points and 14 rebounds, while junior center Kristin Tines added six points and 12 rebounds.
Kwajelin Farrar led USCA (8-7, 4-2) with 25 points and 14 rebounds, while Rachelle Aupont chipped in 12 points on four three-pointers. Farrar shot 8-of-11 from the floor and was 9-of-10 at the free throw stripe.
Chandler scored 11 points as Francis Marion raced to a 15-2 lead in the game's opening five minutes. However, by the end of the first quarter, the margin had been narrowed to 21-19. USCA knotted the score with the first bucket of the second period.
FMU's Courtney Wood scored on a lay-in to give FMU a 31-28 advantage with 4:47 left before halftime, but the Pacers scored 10 straight points to hold a 38-31 lead at intermission.
USCA opened a 14-point margin at 51-37 midway through the third quarter, but Chandler (10) and Bullock (8) combined for an 18-2 FMU run that lifted the Patriots to a 55-53 lead. The Pacers scored the quarter's final five points to go on top 58-55.
Twice in the final period, Francis Marion trimmed the deficit to two points, the final time at 65-63 after a Chandler free throw with 4:08 remaining. The Pacers responded with eight consecutive points to go up 73-63.
FMU shot 34.2 percent from the floor, including 9-of-25 three-point attempts. The Pacers connected on 44.8 percent of their field goal attempts, were 7-of-13 from beyond the arc, and hit 17-of-25 free throws.
The Patriots did force 32 USCA turnovers and converted them into 29 points.
1/11/17 5:30 p.m. at Aiken, S.C. (Convocation Center)
USC AIKEN 76, FRANCIS MARION 70
FRANCIS MARION (7-8; 2-4)
Khai Chandler 11-24 1-4 29; Abigail Bullock 4-13 0-2 11; Shaunice Fulmore
5-17 1-2 11; Briana Burgins 2-11 3-6 7; Kristin Tines 3-5 0-0 6; TeTe
Flowers 1-6 2-2 4; Courtney Wood 1-2 0-0 2; Lauryn Bush 0-0 0-0 0; Tatyana
McClaney 0-0 0-0 0; Keanua Williams 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-79 7-16 70.
USC AIKEN (8-7; 4-2)
Kwajelin Farrar 8-11 9-10 25; Rachelle Aupont 4-9 0-0 12; Jasmine Coach 4-7
0-0 8; Melyk Taouil 2-4 3-7 8; Emily Waters 2-4 3-4 7; Carly Gilreath 2-5
1-2 6; Jasmine Carter 2-12 1-2 6; Kate Duff 1-3 0-0 2; Sade Johnson 1-3 0-0
2; Celine Vega 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-58 17-25 76.
Francis Marion................ 21 10 24 15 - 70
USC Aiken..................... 19 19 20 18 - 76
3-point goals--Francis Marion 9-25 (Khai Chandler 6-14; Abigail Bullock 3-7;
Briana Burgins 0-1; TeTe Flowers 0-1; Shaunice Fulmore 0-2), USC Aiken 7-13
(Rachelle Aupont 4-7; Melyk Taouil 1-2; Jasmine Carter 1-2; Carly Gilreath
1-1; Sade Johnson 0-1). Fouled out--Francis Marion-TeTe Flowers, USC
Aiken-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 42 (Briana Burgins 14), USC Aiken 51
(Kwajelin Farrar 14). Assists--Francis Marion 15 (TeTe Flowers 10), USC
Aiken 17 (Carly Gilreath 5). Total fouls--Francis Marion 23, USC Aiken 15.
Technical fouls--Francis Marion-Team. A-659
