FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University placed three players scoring in double figures, but an 11-0 spurt midway through the third quarter enabled second-ranked and unbeaten Lander University to pull away for an 81-61 Peach Belt Conference win, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 15) in women's basketball action.
 
The Patriots will play at UNC Pembroke on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.  The next home contest for FMU will be Feb. 24 against Augusta University at 5:30 p.m.
 
Sophomore guard Scarlett Gilmore and freshman guard Aniyah Oliver led Francis Marion with 12 points apiece, while freshman 6-0 center Lauryn Taylor posted her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds.  Oliver also dished out a career-high nine assists.  Sophomore 6-1 forward Jasmine Stanley scored seven points and hauled down a career-high 13 rebounds.
 
Sophomore guard Zamiya Passmore led the Bearcats (12-0, 10-0) with 28 points and six assists.
 
Stanley opened the scoring with a jump shot and the Patriots led for the opening five minutes of the first period.  A 16-3 Lander run erased a one-point FMU lead and helped the Bearcats forge a 31-21 advantage at the end of the period.
 
A bucket in the lane by Stanley trimmed the margin to eight at 33-25 with 8:43 left before intermission.  Francis Marion battled hard and trailed by only 11 (49-38) at halftime.
 
A three-point play by Oliver cut the deficit to 51-45 with 6:49 left in the third quarter as the upset-minded Patriots looked poise to rally.  However, the game-deciding 11-0 run by the Bearcats followed and FMU would trail 66-51 heading to the final period.
 
A pair of free throws by senior guard Abigail Bullock to open the fourth got Francis Marion to within 13 points (66-53), but that would be as close as the Patriots would get.
 
Francis Marion connected on 33.8 percent of its field goal attempts, while Lander shot 42.9 percent.  The Bearcats held a commanding advantage at the free throw line making 24-of-35.
 
The contest was the 97th all-time meeting between the two programs dating back to 1974 and possibly the last for the immediate future as FMU will leave the Peach Belt Conference at the end of the school year and move to Conference Carolinas.
 
 
02/13/21 1:30 pm at Florence, SC
#2 LANDER 81, FRANCIS MARION 61
LANDER (12-0,10-0 Peach)
Zamiya Passmore 8-13 12-17 28; Makaila Cange 6-9 7-8 19; Jakiyah Parker 3-9
2-2 9; Sarah Crews 3-9 2-4 8; Miriam Recarte 3-7 0-0 6; Natalia Crooke 2-10
0-0 5; Cierra Revelle 1-2 0-0 3; Tyasia Freeman 1-1 0-0 2; Amiaya Melvins
0-3 1-4 1. Totals 27-63 24-35 81.
FRANCIS MARION (0-8,0-7 Peach Be)
Aniyah Oliver 4-12 3-5 12; Scarlett Gilmore 4-11 2-2 12; Lauryn Taylor 4-10
3-6 11; Jasmine Stanley 3-10 1-4 7; Jasmyne May 3-10 0-0 6; Abigail Bullock
1-5 2-3 5; Khamele Manning 2-2 0-0 4; Ravyn Madaris 1-3 0-0 2; Taylor
Simmons 1-2 0-0 2; Briana White 0-3 0-2 0; Camryn Johnson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals
23-68 11-22 61.
Lander........................   31   18   17   15  -   81
Francis Marion............  21   17   13   10  -   61
3-point goals--Lander 3-22 (Jakiyah Parker 1-5; Natalia Crooke 1-8; Cierra
Revelle 1-2; Miriam Recarte 0-1; Amiaya Melvins 0-1; Sarah Crews 0-3; Zamiya
Passmore 0-2), Francis Marion 4-18 (Scarlett Gilmore 2-5; Abigail Bullock
1-3; Aniyah Oliver 1-5; Ravyn Madaris 0-1; Taylor Simmons 0-1; Briana White
0-2; Lauryn Taylor 0-1). Fouled out--Lander-None, Francis Marion-None.
Rebounds--Lander 45 (Makaila Cange 16), Francis Marion 42 (Jasmine Stanley
13). Assists--Lander 15 (Zamiya Passmore 6), Francis Marion 15 (Aniyah
Oliver 9). Total fouls--Lander 20, Francis Marion 26. Technical
fouls--Lander-Zamiya Passmore. A-79