FLORENCE, SC – Freshman guard Scarlett Gilmore poured in a career-high 22 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, to power Francis Marion University to a 63-57 victory over Georgia Southwestern State University, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 1) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.

FMU improves to 10-8 overall, evens its PBC mark at 6-6, and moves into a tie for sixth place in the conference standings.  The Patriots will play host to fourth-place USC Aiken (one game ahead of FMU) on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Gilmore drained four three-pointers and was a perfect 10-for-10 at the foul line, equaling the fourth-best single-game performance in the storied history of the Patriot program.  This on the same day that her older brother Stephon Gilmore was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

FMU junior Kiana Adderton scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while freshman Kristian Wall added eight points, and senior 6-2 center Tatyana McClaney seven points, eight rebounds, and three blocked shots.

Jamesha Samuel came off the Georgia Southwestern bench to lead the Hurricanes with 15 points, while Madison Johnson scored 12.

Spurred on by a Homecoming crowd of 1,389 and the appearance of members of the 1982 (AIAW Division II) and 1986 (NAIA) women's basketball national championship squads, the Patriots rallied from a 37-35 halftime deficit.

FMU held a slim 42-41 lead entering the final quarter.  GSW went ahead 50-48 midway through the fourth period, but Francis Marion responded with six straight points – five by Gilmore – to take the lead for good at 54-50.  After a GSW free throw, Gilmore connected on a three-pointer to push FMU ahead 57-51.  The final six Patriot points came at the free throw stripe, where Francis Marion was 21-for-28 altogether. 

The Patriots held a slim 35-33 rebounding advantage, but claimed a huge 17-5 edge in second-chance points.

02/01/20 1:30 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION 63, GA. SOUTHWESTERN 57
GA. SOUTHWESTERN (6-12,2-10 Peach)
Jamesha Samuel 4-13 4-4 15; Madison Johnson 4-10 2-4 12; Kya Cochran 3-5 2-2
10; Mariya Trimble 4-6 1-2 9; Yasmin Perez 2-5 0-0 5; Tamecia Blue 1-6 2-2
4; Dominique Jeffery 1-7 0-0 2; K'Shouri Hodge 0-2 0-0 0; Kayla Smith 0-3
0-0 0. Totals 19-57 11-14 57.
FRANCIS MARION (10-8,6-6 Peach B)
Scarlett Gilmore 4-10 10-10 22; Kiana Adderton 7-16 3-3 18; Kristian Wall
2-5 2-6 8; Tatyana McClaney 1-3 5-5 7; Taylor Simmons 1-3 1-4 4; Khamele
Manning 1-1 0-0 2; Camryn Johnson 1-4 0-0 2; Briana White 0-1 0-0 0; Macy
Passmore 0-2 0-0 0; Bionka Massie 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 17-46 21-28 63.
Ga. Southwestern..............   24   13    4   16  -   57
Francis Marion................      17   18    7   21  -   63
3-point goals--Ga. Southwestern 8-25 (Jamesha Samuel 3-11; Madison Johnson
2-5; Kya Cochran 2-3; Yasmin Perez 1-3; Dominique Jeffery 0-2; Mariya
Trimble 0-1), Francis Marion 8-18 (Scarlett Gilmore 4-7; Kristian Wall 2-2;
Kiana Adderton 1-3; Taylor Simmons 1-2; Macy Passmore 0-2; Bionka Massie
0-1; Camryn Johnson 0-1). Fouled out—None. Rebounds--GSW 33 (Mariya
Trimble 9), FMU 35 (Tatyana McClaney 8; Kiana Adderton 8). Assists--GSW 13
(Madison Johnson 3; Kya Cochran 3; Mariya Trimble 3), FMU 14 (Camryn
Johnson 4). Total fouls--GSW 23, FMU 16. Technical fouls--None. A-1389