TIGERVILLE, SC – Junior guard Tionne Rollins scored Francis Marion University's final seven points as a short-handed Patriot squad rallied to claim a 76-73 road victory over North Greenville University, Friday evening (Jan. 21) in Conference Carolinas men's basketball play.
 
The Patriots, who dressed only eight players, improve to 6-8 overall and 4-8 in league play.  FMU will return to action and finish its road trip in Spartanburg to face Converse University on Saturday (Jan. 22) at 4 p.m.
 
In Rollins' clutch performance, he would post 19 points, while shooting 7-of-16 from the floor as well as 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Freshmen forward and reigning Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Week Jonah Pierce tallied 12 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks.
 
FMU freshmen forward Nick Silva would also post 12 points and six rebounds. Sophomore guard Ja'Lil Robinson scored a season-high 10 points, while junior guard Matthew Lee and sophomore guard Asante Turner registered career-highs with 10 and seven points respectively.
 
Long-time Patriot head coach Gary Edwards called it "the proudest moment of my coaching career" – a career that includes 1,065 games over 38 seasons as a head coach at the NCAA Division I and II and NAIA levels. 
 
"I have never been more proud of a group of young men than tonight.  It is a perfect example of playing with heart and not giving up, and not allowing dire circumstances to dictate an outcome. This was a satisfying win for everyone.  I hope they all remember this night later in life when confronting challenges, and think 'If we could win that game in Tigerville then I can overcome this'."
  
C.J. Jamison led North Greenville University (4-8, 2-7) in points with 19, with Jacob Redding following with 17 points.
 
The Patriots would sink the first basket of the evening from a Pierce hook shot, but the Crusaders would unleash from the arc hitting 8-of-16 from long-range in the first half. North Greenville's Redding would create many problems from behind the arc hitting four of the eight.
 
At the 11:02 mark, NGU would lead by nine after a Zak Pardew three-pointer, but the Patriots would bring it within three with 9:25 left in the first half. This would come from a Turner three-pointer and a turnaround jumper from Lee. FMU would draw to within two points twice until the Crusaders widened the gap at halftime to 44-35.
 
For a majority of the second half, the Crusaders would control the lead, while the Patriot squad would keep fighting back. NGU would lead by as many as 12 in the final stanza and held a 10-point margin (66-56) at the 8:44 mark.  It was at this point that FMU would begin its rally. Nine straight points by the Patriots would bring the score within one after free throws by freshmen guard Jose Benitez and Pierce.
 
A Rollins' three-pointer with 2:11 left would push the Patriots up by two at 72-70, and less than a minute later, Rollins would sink a layup to put the Patriots up 74-70. The Crusaders drew to within one with 23 seconds after two free throws by Kameron Hobbs, but Rollins would strike again by drawing a foul and sinking two free throws to extend their lead to three and secure the victory.
 
FMU ended the contest shooting 25-of-56 (44.6%) from the field, while North Greenville would shoot 24-of-64 (37.5%) percent. The Patriots shot 22-of-25 (88.0%) from the line and the Crusaders nailed 13-of-15 (86.7%). After the sizzling first-half performance, NGU cooled to only 4-of-13 from long range in the second half.
 
North Greenville held the lead for (36:45) minutes, while the Patriots would only maintain the lead for (2:35) minutes.
 
01/21/22 7:00 pm at Tigerville, SC
FRANCIS MARION 76, NORTH GREENVILLE 73
FRANCIS MARION (6-8,4-8 Conferen)
Tionne Rollins 7-16 4-4 19; Jonah Pierce 5-9 2-3 12; Nick Silva 3-8 6-8 12;
Matthew Lee 4-6 2-2 10; Ja'Lil Robinson 4-7 0-0 10; Asante Turner 1-4 4-4 7;
Jose Benitez 1-6 4-4 6; Jedon Ward 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-56 22-25 76.
NORTH GREENVILLE (4-8,2-7 Conferen)
C.J. Jamison 7-18 1-2 19; Jacob Redding 6-14 0-0 17; Kameron Hobbs 4-13 4-4
13; Zak Perdew 2-3 2-2 8; Joe Conley 1-7 5-6 7; Caleb Williams 3-5 0-0 6;
Mason Zick 1-3 1-1 3; Seth Hewitt 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-64 13-15 73.
Francis Marion................   35   41  -   76
North Greenville..............   44   29  -   73
3-point goals--Francis Marion 4-14 (Ja'Lil Robinson 2-3; Asante Turner 1-2;
Tionne Rollins 1-7; Jose Benitez 0-2), North Greenville 12-29 (Jacob Redding
5-10; C.J. Jamison 4-10; Zak Perdew 2-2; Kameron Hobbs 1-6; Mason Zick 0-1).
Fouled out--Francis Marion-None, North Greenville-None. Rebounds--Francis
Marion 28 (Jonah Pierce 8), North Greenville 35 (Caleb Williams 10).
Assists--Francis Marion 15 (Nick Silva 5), North Greenville 16 (Caleb
Williams 3; Jacob Redding 3; Kameron Hobbs 3). Total fouls--Francis Marion
17, North Greenville 16. Technical fouls--None. A-273