SPARTANBURG, SC – The starting trio of Scarlett Gilmore, Lauryn Taylor, and Zaria Woods combined for 46 points and Francis Marion University led wire-to-wire en route to an 86-64 victory over Converse University, Saturday afternoon (Jan. 22) in Conference Carolinas women's basketball play.
 
FMU wins its fourth consecutive game and improves to 8-6 overall and 7-5 in league play. The Patriots return home to entertain UNC Pembroke on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the latest installment of The Battle of I-95.
 
Woods posted her third double-double of the season with 16 points, on 8-of-11 shooting, and 10 rebounds.  Gilmore and Taylor each tallied 15 points, with Gilmore adding four steals and four assists.
 
Freshman guard Kiana Lee came off the bench for her second straight double-figure effort as she scored 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, only one shy of her career high recorded Friday night at North Greenville University.  Junior reserve center Jasmine Stanley registered a season-high 11 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore point guard Aniyah Oliver finished with nine points and seven assists while not committing a turnover in 28 minutes of action.
 
Ayanna Parker led four Converse (3-11, 2-9) players scoring in double digits with 11 points.
 
The Patriots scored the opening six points of the contest and never trailed.  The margin quickly ballooned to 14-5 and later 20-9 following a second-chance bucket by Stanley.  A lay-in by Stanley later extended the margin to 25-12 at the end of the first quarter.
 
A three-point play by Lee pushed the advantage to 28-12 early in the second.  The Valkyries rallied to trim the margin to six on two occasions, the second time at 41-35 following a lay-up by Jordan Brown.  FMU led 46-39 at halftime.
 
Francis Marion opened the third period with a 9-0 spurt, including five points from Taylor, to go up 55-39.  The margin would remain in double figures the remainder of the game.  FMU held a 70-51 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
 
The largest lead of the afternoon came at 86-63 after a stick-back bucket by Stanley.
 
The Patriots shot 48.1 percent from the field and were 9-of-16 at the foul line, while holding Converse to 36.5 percent shooting.  The Valkyries were 15-of-20 at the free throw stripe.
 
FMU held a 24-8 advantage in second-chance points, 23-6 in fast-break points, and 62-36 in points-in-the-paint.
 
 
01/22/22 2:00 pm at Spartanburg, SC
FRANCIS MARION 86, CONVERSE 64
FRANCIS MARION (8-6,7-5 Conferen)
Zaria Woods 8-11 0-0 16; Kiana Lee 7-11 2-4 16; Scarlett Gilmore 4-10 6-9
15; Lauryn Taylor 7-11 0-0 15; Jasmine Stanley 5-10 1-2 11; Aniyah Oliver
4-8 0-1 9; Ke'Onna Bryant 1-3 0-0 2; Jasmyne May 1-6 0-0 2; Myesha Huggins
0-0 0-0 0; Janiyah Hagood 0-4 0-0 0; Jada Richards 0-3 0-0 0; MiLeia Owens
0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-77 9-16 86.
CONVERSE (3-11,2-9 Confere)
Ayanna Parker 4-9 3-4 11; Zahra  Cross 2-8 6-8 10; Alliee Patillo 3-5 2-2
10; Sydney Wilson 5-13 0-0 10; Jordan Brown 3-10 2-2 8; Eva Carballo 3-5 0-0
6; Lindsey Hardin 2-5 0-0 4; Colbie Perry 1-4 0-0 3; Daven West 0-3 1-2 1;
Amaia  Parkins 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 23-63 15-20 64.
Francis Marion..............   25   21   24   16  -   86
Converse......................   12   27   12   13  -   64
3-point goals--Francis Marion 3-14 (Scarlett Gilmore 1-4; Aniyah Oliver 1-1;
Lauryn Taylor 1-3; Ke'Onna Bryant 0-1; Janiyah Hagood 0-2; Jasmine Stanley
0-1; Kiana Lee 0-2), Converse 3-11 (Alliee Patillo 2-2; Colbie Perry 1-4;
Lindsey Hardin 0-2; Zahra  Cross 0-2; Ayanna Parker 0-1). Fouled
out--Francis Marion-None, Converse-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 45 (Zaria
Woods 10), Converse 42 (Sydney Wilson 8). Assists--Francis Marion 23 (Aniyah
Oliver 7), Converse 15 (Lindsey Hardin 5). Total fouls--Francis Marion 17,
Converse 16. Technical fouls--None. A-115