FLORENCE, SC – Junior forward Rayven Thomas scored four consecutive points to snap a late deadlock and help 23rd-ranked Clayton State University grab a 72-69 win over Francis Marion University, Saturday afternoon (Jan. 7) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.

FMU (7-6, 2-2) was looking for its first win over Clayton State since the 2008-09 campaign, but was unable to hold a double-digit first-half lead and an eight-point advantage with 7:40 left.  The Patriots will travel to Georgia College for a 5:30 p.m. match-up on Monday night.  The next home game for Francis Marion will be Saturday, Jan. 14, at 1:30 p.m. against the University of North Georgia.

FMU sophomore Shaunice Fulmore led FMU with a career-high equaling 21 points and nine rebounds, while junior forward Briana Burgins registered 19 points and nine rebounds.  Junior 5-10 center Kristin Tines chipped in her second consecutive double-figure rebounding game as he grabbed 11 caroms to go with five points.

Senior guard Tierra Johnson led Clayton State (10-3, 2-2) with 21 points, while junior 5-10 forward Abreyln Rackley posted a double-double coming off the Laker bench with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

The Patriots opened the game with perhaps their best quarter of the season, taking a 25-14 lead on 62.5 percent shooting (10-of-16).  Fulmore capped the period with a feat-break pull-up three-pointer as the horn sounded.

Eleven straight points by the Lakers to open the second period quickly knotted the score at 25-25.  Although Francis Marion never allowed Clayton State to take the lead, the score was tied on three more occasions before halftime.  A fast-break lay-in by Burgins with 15 seconds left in the quarter allowed FMU to assume a 42-39 advantage at intermission.

Back-to-back baskets by Johnson gave the Lakers their first lead at 43-42 early in the third period.  However, the Patriots responded with an 11-2 spurt to go ahead 53-45 en route to a 58-52 advantage at the end of the quarter.

A fast-break hoop by junior Keanua Williams with 9:16 remaining gave FMU a 61-53 lead.  The Patriots had three possessions to add to that margin but were unable to do so.  Clayton State then responded by scoring the game's next 12 points to take a 65-61 lead with three minutes left on the clock.

Two free throws by Burgins and baskets by Williams and Fulmore accounted for a 6-0 FMU spurt as the Patriots reassumed the lead at 67-65 with 2:04 remaining.

After Tweety Hawkins tied the contest at 67-67 with 1:25 left, Thomas connected on a layup and hit a pair of free throws to give the Lakers a 71-67 advantage.  Fulmore's lay-in with six seconds on the clock cut the deficit to two, but Hawkins made one of two free throws with three seconds remaining before a long last-ditch heave by FMU was no good.

Francis Marion finished the game with a 35.5 shooting percentage, was 5-of-17 on three-point attempts, and hit 10-of-20 free throws.  Clayton State shot 44.4 percent, was 2-of-8 from long range, and connected on 14-of-22 free throw attempts.

FMU did force 30 Clayton State turnovers which were converted into 43 points, but the Patriots committed 29 miscues themselves.