FLORENCE, SC – Junior forward Kiana Adderton scored a game-high 18 points, including 13 in the second half, and senior 6-2 center Tatyana McClaney tallied 12 points, nine rebounds, and five blocked shots to lead Francis Marion University to a 69-57 victory over USC Aiken, Wednesday evening (Feb. 5) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.

FMU improves to 11-8 overall and 7-6 in Peach Belt, climbing into a fifth-place tie with the Pacers (12-9, 7-6). The Patriots will continue conference play when they travel to Young Harris College on Saturday (Feb. 8) for a 1:30 p.m. tip-off. The squad will return home next Wednesday (Feb. 12) to host Augusta University at 5:30 p.m.

Adderton connected on 8-of-13 field goal attempts and added seven rebounds and four assists.  McClaney shot 6-of-10 from the floor.

FMU freshman guard Scarlett Gilmore scored 11 points, while junior point guard Camryn Johnson added nine points and five assists.

Sophomore guard Alexis Mack led USCA with 17 points, while sophomore guard Alex Canady chipped in 13.  The Pacers were coming off a win over nationally ranked University of North Georgia in their last outing.

The Patriots forced 19 Pacer turnovers and held a commanding 19-1 lead in points-off-turnovers.  As a team, FMU also blocked 10 shots, while holding USCA to 38.2 percent shooting.

Francis Marion led 22-20 at the end of the first quarter and extended the margin to 36-29 at halftime by holding the Pacers to only nine second-quarter points on 4-of-15 shooting.

USCA twice got to within one possession in the third period, but the horn sounded with the Patriots holding a 50-45 advantage. Adderton scored 11 of FMU's 14 points in the third quarter.

The Pacers never got any closer as FMU gradually pulled away to a double-figure lead in the fourth. McClaney recorded eight of her points in the final quarter and the Patriots held USCA to 3-of-13 shooting over the final 10 minutes.

The Patriots shot 45.6 percent from the floor and made 11-of-13 free throws.

Post-game comments from FMU head coach Jeri Porter and senior center Tatyana McClaney

02/05/20 5:30 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION 69, S.C. AIKEN 57
S.C. AIKEN (12-9,7-6 Peach B)
Alexis Mack 7-15 1-7 17; Alex Canady 4-5 2-3 13; Kwajelin Farrar 3-13 2-2 8;
Madison Williams 3-6 1-2 7; Melyk Taouil 2-12 2-2 6; Rikoya Anderson 2-3 1-2
6; Chesney Gardner 0-1 0-0 0; Kanna Suzuki 0-0 0-0 0; Ireona Brooks 0-0 0-0
0. Totals 21-55 9-18 57.
FRANCIS MARION (11-8,7-6 Peach B)
Kiana Adderton 8-13 0-0 18; Tatyana McClaney 6-10 0-0 12; Scarlett Gilmore
4-15 2-2 11; Camryn Johnson 2-4 5-6 9; Kristian Wall 1-2 3-4 6; Khamele
Manning 2-2 1-1 6; Macy Passmore 2-8 0-0 5; Briana White 1-1 0-0 2; Bionka
Massie 0-0 0-0 0; Taylor Simmons 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 26-57 11-13 69.
S.C. Aiken....................       20    9   16   12  -   57
Francis Marion.................   22   14   14   19  -   69
3-point goals--S.C. Aiken 6-7 (Alex Canady 3-3; Alexis Mack 2-3; Rikoya
Anderson 1-1), Francis Marion 6-23 (Kiana Adderton 2-3; Khamele Manning 1-1;
Scarlett Gilmore 1-8; Kristian Wall 1-2; Macy Passmore 1-7; Taylor Simmons
0-1; Camryn Johnson 0-1). Fouled out--S.C. Aiken-Melyk Taouil, Francis
Marion-None. Rebounds--S.C. Aiken 37 (Melyk Taouil 10), Francis Marion 31
(Tatyana McClaney 9). Assists--S.C. Aiken 14 (Alexis Mack 4), Francis Marion
15 (Camryn Johnson 5). Total fouls--S.C. Aiken 19, Francis Marion 19.
Technical fouls--S.C. Aiken-Madison Williams, Francis Marion-Kiana Adderton.
A-587