PEMBROKE, NC – Sophomore guard Aniyah Oliver's three-pointer ignited a late 9-0 run and post players Zaria Woods and Lauryn Taylor combined for 46 points as Francis Marion University rallied for an 89-85 win over Wingate University, Friday night (Nov.12)  on the opening night of the Conference Carolinas/South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Challenge.
 
On the second day of the challenge, Francis Marion (1-0) will face local rival Coker University (0-1) at 4 p.m. on the UNC Pembroke campus.  UNCP defeated the Cobras 66-51 in Friday's second contest.
 
Woods, a 5-10 junior who sat out last season, led FMU with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting.  Her point total was one shy of her career high.  She also hauled down five rebounds and handed out three assists.  Taylor, a sophomore, recorded 20 points (on 9-of-15 shooting), a team-high six rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
 
Junior guard Scarlett Gilmore added 14 points and four assists, while freshman Jada Richards scored 11 points in her collegiate debut.  Oliver tallied 10 points and seven assists, while committing only one turnover in 29 minutes of action.
 
Wingate assumed its largest lead of the night at 81-76 with only 2:47 remaining in the game.  On the ensuing possession, Oliver drained a pull-up three pointer from the left elbow that started the game-deciding run.
 
Woods, Gilmore, and Taylor all followed with layups to put the Patriots up 85-81 with 54 seconds left.  The Bulldogs trimmed the margin to 85-83 on a lay-in by Peyton Davis, but Francis Marion made four of six free throws over the final 31 seconds to seal the win.
 
Guard Hannah Clark led five Wingate (0-1) players in double figures with 19 points and seven assists.
 
The Patriots shot 54.5 percent from the floor, including 11-of-23 from behind the three-point arc.  The 11 three-pointers equaled the sixth-highest total in program history.  Wingate connected on 60.7 percent of its shots, but only 4-of-13 from long range.
 
FMU converted 17 Bulldog turnovers into 24 points.
 
Francis Marion made six consecutive shots in the opening period and raced to a 14-2 advantage after only five minutes.  The margin was 22-11 after a Taylor stick-back at the 2:36 mark. Wingate scored the final seven points of the quarter to pull within 22-18.
 
A jumper by Taylor extended the lead back to nine points (31-22) 2:38 into the second quarter.  An 8-0 spurt by Wingate knotted the score at 36-36 and three minutes later, the teams retired to the locker rooms for halftime tied at 40-40.
 
The third period featured 10 lead changes and ended with Francis Marion leading 61-59.
 
The final quarter again featured 10 lead changes. Neither team led by more than one possession until the Bulldogs took the 81-76 lead.
 
 
FRANCIS MARION 89, WINGATE 85
WINGATE (0-1,0-0 SAC)
Hannah Clark 9-15 0-0 19; Bryanna Troutman 8-11 0-0 16; Peyton Davis 7-10
0-1 15; AJ Davis 5-7 1-1 11; Lauren Sullivan 5-7 0-1 11; Haleigh Brandon 1-7
4-4 6; Ilene Hurley 1-1 2-2 4; Jaia Wilson 1-3 0-0 3; Mikayla Dyson 0-0 0-0
0. Totals 37-61 7-9 85.
FRANCIS MARION (1-0,0-0 Conferen)
Zaria Woods 11-14 4-6 26; Lauryn Taylor 9-15 0-1 20; Scarlett Gilmore 6-13
0-0 14; Jada Richards 4-6 0-0 11; Aniyah Oliver 3-6 2-3 10; MiLeia Owens 2-3
0-0 5; Janiyah Hagood 1-4 0-0 3; Kiana Lee 0-4 0-0 0; Jasmyne May 0-1 0-0 0.
Totals 36-66 6-10 89.
Wingate                    18       22        19        26        85
Francis Marion         22        18        21        28        89
3-point goals--Wingate 4-13 (Jaia Wilson 1-1; Lauren Sullivan 1-3; Hannah
Clark 1-3; Peyton Davis 1-2; Haleigh Brandon 0-4), Francis Marion 11-23
(Jada Richards 3-4; Lauryn Taylor 2-3; Scarlett Gilmore 2-4; Aniyah Oliver
2-3; Janiyah Hagood 1-4; MiLeia Owens 1-2; Kiana Lee 0-2; Jasmyne May 0-1).
Fouled out--Wingate-Bryanna Troutman, Francis Marion-None. Rebounds--Wingate
29 (Haleigh Brandon 9), Francis Marion 27 (Lauryn Taylor 6).
Assists--Wingate 23 (Hannah Clark 7), Francis Marion 27 (Aniyah Oliver 7).
Total fouls--Wingate 14, Francis Marion 11. Technical fouls--None. A-86