FLORENCE, SC – Senior Shaunice Fulmore scored 22 points to lead four Patriots in double figures, but Francis Marion University was unable to complete a second-half comeback resulting in an 80-72 loss to visiting Clayton State University, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 9) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.

FMU (8-11, 5-10) will play host to Lander University on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Fulmore connected on 9-of-17 shots during the program's annual Play4Kay game.  Sophomore Kiana Adderton scored 19 points, while graduate student Briana Burgins added 14 points and seven rebounds and junior guard Abigail Bullock chipped in 11 points.  Junior 6-2 center Tatyana McClaney led the Patriots with eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

Junior Madison Newby led the Lakers (14-7, 10-5) with 20 points, while four of her teammates scored 10 points apiece.

Clayton State took advantage of a cold shooting start for FMU and took an 11-2 lead at the midway point of the opening quarter.  The Patriots warmed up and closed to within 19-14 at the end of the period.

The Patriots trimmed the deficit to one point on two occasions in the second quarter, the second time at 34-33 following two free throws by sophomore center Briana White.  However, the Lakers extended the margin back to five (38-33) at halftime.

A free throw by Adderton capped a brief 5-0 spurt that gave FMU its only lead of the contest at 43-42 with 7:06 remaining in the third quarter.  The score was knotted at 54-54 when the Lakers closed the period with a 6-1 run.

A fast-break lay-up by Fulmore with 4:31 left in the game brought FMU to within 69-67, but Clayton State responded with five straight points and the margin never returned to one possession.

Francis Marion connected on 45.5 percent of its field goal attempts and was 20-of-34 at the free throw line.  Clayton State shot 45.8 percent and hit 24-of-26 free throws.

Post-game comments from FMU head coach Jeri Porter

02/09/19 1:30 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
CLAYTON ST. 80, FRANCIS MARION 72
CLAYTON ST. (14-7 , 10-5)
Newby,Madison 6-10 8-9 20; Wilson,Taneria 4-6 1-2 10; Johnson,Velencia 4-16
2-4 10; Miles,Shaquoria 4-8 2-3 10; Foster,Tatiana 4-8 2-4 10;
Alexander,Monica 3-6 3-4 9; Bland,TaKwana 2-3 2-4 7; Towns,Kelsie 0-1 4-6 4;
Clardy,Dalania 0-0 0-0 0; Saunders,Kietta 0-0 0-0 0; Williams,Brittany 0-1
0-0 0. Totals 27-59 24-36 80.
FRANCIS MARION (8-11 , 5-10)
Shaunice Fulmore 9-17 4-4 22; Kiana Adderton 7-15 4-8 19; Briana Burgins
6-10 2-4 14; Abigail Bullock 3-8 4-6 11; Briana White 0-0 2-4 2; Camryn
Johnson 0-0 2-2 2; Tatyana McClaney 0-1 1-4 1; Lauryn Bush 0-0 1-2 1;
Khamele Manning 0-4 0-0 0; Brooke Dixon 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-55 20-34 72.
Clayton St....................      19   19   22   20  -   80
Francis Marion................   14   19   22   17  -   72
3-point goals--Clayton St. 2-8 (Wilson,Taneria 1-1; Bland,TaKwana 1-1;
Alexander,Monica 0-2; Johnson,Velencia 0-3; Newby,Madison 0-1), Francis
Marion 2-12 (Abigail Bullock 1-3; Kiana Adderton 1-5; Khamele Manning 0-1;
Shaunice Fulmore 0-3). Fouled out--Clayton St.-Johnson,Velencia, Francis
Marion-Shaunice Fulmore; Briana Burgins; Tatyana McClaney. Rebounds--Clayton
St. 33 (Johnson,Velencia 8), Francis Marion 35 (Tatyana McClaney 8).
Assists--Clayton St. 11 (Newby,Madison 3; Alexander,Monica 3;
Johnson,Velencia 3), Francis Marion 11 (Shaunice Fulmore 3). Total
fouls--Clayton St. 29, Francis Marion 29. Technical fouls--Clayton
St. Bench; Bland,TaKwana; TEAM, Francis Marion-Kiana Adderton. A-875