ROYSTON, GA – Entering the fourth period with the score tied, Emmanuel College (Ga.) exploded for 25 points, including a key 7-0 run, to defeat Francis Marion University 60-54, Saturday afternoon (Nov. 20) in the season-opening Conference Carolinas women's basketball contest for both squads.
 
Francis Marion (1-2, 0-1) will continue its three-game road swing to open conference play by traveling to the University of Mount Olive on Tuesday for a 5 p.m. tip-off.
 
Junior guard Scarlett Gilmore led the Patriots with 15 points and six rebounds.  Junior center Zaria Woods and freshman guard Jada Richards each scored nine points, while Woods also hauled down nine rebounds. 
 
FMU sophomore forward Lauryn Taylor registered eight points, while sophomore point guard Aniyah Oliver tallied five points, four assists, and a team-high 10 rebounds.
 
Sydney Wyatt led Emmanuel (1-3, 1-0) with 21 points.
 
Early in the fourth quarter, the score was deadlocked at 39-39 when Emmanuel scored seven straight points in less than a minute to assume a 46-39 lead.  The Patriots would get no closer than five points over the final seven minutes of the contest.
 
Emmanuel scored the game's opening nine points and led 14-4 after eight minutes.  The Patriots trimmed the margin to 14-11 at the end of the first period thanks to a late lay-in by Oliver.
 
The Lions would lead by eight twice in the second quarter, but a 6-0 spurt – all by Gilmore – got FMU to within 23-21 at halftime.  The Patriots held Emmanuel scoreless for the final 4:44 of the half.
 
The scoring drought would continue for the Lions into the third period as Gilmore added a driving lay-up and a three-pointer to give FMU its first lead at 26-23.  Emmanuel would be held scoreless for 7:12 starting in the second and continuing into the third, and would be held to only one basket for nearly 11 minutes.
 
A turn-around jumper by Taylor gave the Patriots a 30-25 advantage with six minutes remaining in the third quarter.  However, Emmanuel rallied to go back ahead at 35-33.  Taylor would knot the score at 35-35 with a baseline jump shot in the final minute of the period.
 
Francis Marion shot 34.4 percent from the floor and was 6-of-13 at the foul line, while the Lions connected on 39.3 percent of their field goal attempts and were 9-of-14 on charity tosses.
 
FMU outrebounded the Lions 38-34.
 
 
11/20/21 2:00 pm at Royston, GA
EMMANUEL (GA) 60, FRANCIS MARION 54
FRANCIS MARION (1-2,0-1 Conferen)
Scarlett Gilmore 4-11 5-8 15; Zaria Woods 4-8 1-2 9; Jada Richards 3-9 0-0
9; Lauryn Taylor 4-13 0-2 8; Aniyah Oliver 2-7 0-1 5; Jasmine Stanley 2-5
0-0 4; Jasmyne May 2-5 0-0 4; Kiana Lee 0-2 0-0 0; Janiyah Hagood 0-1 0-0 0;
MiLeia Owens 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-61 6-13 54.
EMMANUEL (GA) (1-3,1-0 Conferen)
Sydney Wyatt 7-11 7-9 21; Jazmin Allen 5-15 0-0 10; Reyonna Hopkins 4-5 2-3
10; Lexi Sengkhammee 3-6 0-2 7; Allison Smith 2-9 0-0 5; Jeanetta Elder 2-5
0-0 4; Abby Crawford 1-5 0-0 3; Lindsay Pruitt 0-4 0-0 0; Emma Easterwood
0-0 0-0 0; Maddie Futch 0-0 0-0 0; Addie Penick 0-0 0-0 0; Macy Passmore 0-1
0-0 0. Totals 24-61 9-14 60.
Francis Marion................   11   10   14   19  -   54
Emmanuel (GA)..............   14    9   12   25  -   60
3-point goals--Francis Marion 6-24 (Jada Richards 3-8; Scarlett Gilmore 2-6;
Aniyah Oliver 1-4; Jasmyne May 0-1; Lauryn Taylor 0-4; Zaria Woods 0-1),
Emmanuel (GA) 3-20 (Allison Smith 1-5; Lexi Sengkhammee 1-2; Abby Crawford
1-2; Lindsay Pruitt 0-4; Macy Passmore 0-1; Jazmin Allen 0-4; Sydney Wyatt
0-2). Fouled out--Francis Marion-None, Emmanuel (GA)-None. Rebounds--Francis
Marion 38 (Aniyah Oliver 10), Emmanuel (GA) 36 (Lexi Sengkhammee 9).
Assists--Francis Marion 9 (Aniyah Oliver 4), Emmanuel (GA) 12 (Sydney Wyatt
4). Total fouls--Francis Marion 18, Emmanuel (GA) 18. Technical
fouls--None. A-76