FLORENCE, SC – The Francis Marion University frontline duo of freshman Lauryn Taylor and sophomore Jasmine Stanley combined for 31 points and 15 rebounds, but it was not enough as visiting Flagler College claimed an 89-71 win over the Patriots, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 27) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion will host local-rival UNC Pembroke in its season finale, Monday at 6 p.m.  Attendance is limited to 250 and that includes only season ticket holders, FMU students with pre-acquired tickets, and player/staff family members identified on a pre-game pass list. No general admission game-day tickets will be sold.
 
Taylor led FMU with 19 points, on 8-of-13 shooting, and seven rebounds.  Stanley came off the bench to score 12 and grab eight rebounds.  Senior guard Taylor Simmons added a career-high nine points and sophomore Scarlett Gilmore also registered nine.  The FMU bench outscored the Saints reserves 35-6.
 
Senior guard Tori Pearce paced Flagler (7-7, 5-6) with 34 points, while senior forward Jaziana Mathis tallied 24.
 
A 9-0 run in the first quarter allowed Flagler to assume a 22-12 advantage, en route to a 24-15 lead at the end of the period.
 
A lay-up by Taylor off a feed from Gilmore got the Patriots to within 26-20 early in the second quarter.  However, a second 9-0 spurt swelled the Saints' lead to 35-20.  Flagler would lead 51-34 at intermission.
 
Buckets by Stanley and Taylor to open the second half drew FMU to within 51-38. A fast-break hoop by senior guard Khamele Manning again trimmed the margin to 13, at 73-60, early in the fourth quarter.  The lead dwindled to 12 at 83-71 with still 3:55 left when Manning drained a three-pointer, but Flagler scored the game's final six points to account for the final score.
 
Francis Marion connected on 41.2 percent of its field goal attempts, including making eight three-pointers, and was 7-of-8 at the free throw stripe.  Flagler hit 50.8 percent of its shots, including nine triples, and was 14-of-17 at the charity line.
 
FMU recognized its six seniors prior to tip-off.
 
 
02/27/21 1:30 pm at Florence, SC
FLAGLER 89, FRANCIS MARION 71
FLAGLER (7-7,5-6 Peach Be)
Tori Pearce 12-20 9-10 34; Jaziana  Mathis 9-16 2-2 24; Sadie Russell 6-9
1-2 15; N'Mya Pierce 2-9 2-3 6; Monique Bryant 2-5 0-0 4; Beka Benge 1-3 0-0
3; Marta Franco 1-3 0-0 3; Josie Canales 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-65 14-17 89.
FRANCIS MARION (1-11,1-10 Peach)
Lauryn Taylor 8-13 2-2 19; Jasmine Stanley 5-7 1-1 12; Scarlett Gilmore 3-17
3-3 9; Taylor Simmons 3-7 1-2 9; Abigail Bullock 2-7 0-0 6; Khamele Manning
2-4 0-0 5; Ravyn Madaris 2-4 0-0 4; Jasmyne May 1-1 0-0 3; Briana White 1-3
0-0 2; Camryn Johnson 1-3 0-0 2; Aniyah Oliver 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 28-68 7-8 71.
Flagler.......................   24   27   21   17  -   89
Francis Marion................   15   19   16   21  -   71
3-point goals--Flagler 9-20 (Jaziana  Mathis 4-8; Sadie Russell 2-3; Tori
Pearce 1-3; Beka Benge 1-3; Marta Franco 1-1; Monique Bryant 0-2), Francis
Marion 8-30 (Abigail Bullock 2-6; Taylor Simmons 2-4; Lauryn Taylor 1-2;
Jasmyne May 1-1; Khamele Manning 1-1; Jasmine Stanley 1-1; Aniyah Oliver
0-2; Camryn Johnson 0-2; Briana White 0-2; Scarlett Gilmore 0-9). Fouled
out--None. Rebounds--Flagler 39 (N'Mya Pierce 7; Sadie Russell 7), FMU 33
(Jasmine Stanley 8). Assists--Flagler 19 (Marta Franco 6), Francis Marion 18
(Taylor Simmons 4). Total fouls--Flagler 10, Francis Marion 17. Technical
fouls--None. A-136