SPARTANBURG, SC – An eight-man Patriots squad wins consecutive road games with junior guard Tionne Rollins hitting a late three and sinking two free throws as Francis Marion University ended their road trip Saturday evening (Jan. 22) with a 72-68 win against Converse University in Conference Carolinas men's basketball play.
 
This would be the first meeting between FMU and Converse (5-11, 4-8) in program histories. The Patriots (7-8, 5-8) will be back at the Smith University Center Wednesday (Jan. 26) at 7:30 p.m. to face off against a ranked UNC Pembroke team in the Battle of I-95.
 
In back-to-back clutch performances for Rollins, he would post 19 points shooting 6-of-12 from the floor as well as 5-of-10 from behind the arc. Freshmen guard Jose Benitez would post a career high in points with 14 while also reeling in six rebounds and grabbing three steals. Sophomore guard Ja'Lil Robinson would break his season high in points a day later scoring 12, and brought in eight rebounds and three steals. Freshmen forward Nick Silva would also record 17 points.

Earl Burgess III would lead Converse University in points with 18 and rebounds with 11, Jay Mitchell would follow with 16 points.
 
The Patriots and Valkyries would keep it a tight game for the majority of the first half but the Patriots would extend their lead to as much as seven at the 9:39 mark. That seven-point lead would come after Robinson, Benitez and Silva would each sink a shot from behind the arc. This would make the score (26-19) but the Valkyries would regain the lead at the 6:09 minute from a Burgess III three pointer. Converse would extend their lead to five points with 3:02 left in the first half. 
With FMU in the bonus, Benitez would record a steal, get fouled and sink his free throws shrinking the deficit to one point with 1:14 remaining. Benitez would dish a pass to Rollins with 36 seconds left and he would knock down a shot behind the arc sending the Patriots into halftime with a two-point lead (35-33).

The Patriots would hold that halftime lead up until the 10:45 mark where the Valkyries would sink a free throw to even the score. FMU and Converse would fight back and forth for the lead, until the Valkyries would control the lead and extend it to seven points with 3:45 left in the second half. With 1:37 left in the second half, freshmen forward Jonah Pierce would sink a layup in the paint to even the score at 65-65 and moments later a Benitez layup would put the Patriots in front with a two-point lead.
 
A Mitchell three-pointer for Converse would answer back and give the Valkyries the lead up by one with 40 seconds remaining at 68-67. After a 30 second timeout, Rollins would knock down a three-pointer with 20 seconds remaining to put FMU up 70-68 and later (4 seconds left) draw a foul leading to him sinking his two free throws and helping the Patriots to consecutive victories.

Francis Marion University ended the contest shooting 26-of-68 (38.2%) from the field while Converse would shoot 24-of-49 (49.0%) percent from the floor. The Patriots shot 13-of-37 (35.1%) from the arc and the Valkyries would shoot 8-of-23 (34.8%). 

01/22/22 4:00 pm at Spartanburg, SC
FRANCIS MARION 72, CONVERSE 68
FRANCIS MARION (7-8,5-8 Conferen)
Tionne Rollins 6-12 2-2 19; Nick Silva 7-16 0-0 17; Jose Benitez 5-9 2-2 14;
Ja'Lil Robinson 4-18 1-2 12; Matthew Lee 3-6 1-1 7; Jonah Pierce 1-4 1-2 3;
Jedon Ward 0-0 0-0 0; Asante Turner 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 26-68 7-9 72.
CONVERSE (5-13,4-8 Confere)
Earl Burgess III 7-9 4-5 18; Jay Mitchell 6-9 1-2 16; Sigurd Lorange 4-12
4-5 14; Jordan Warlick 3-5 0-0 8; Elijah Pitts 2-8 3-3 7; Jimmie Sanders III
1-5 0-0 3; Nate Gordon 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 24-49 12-15 68.
Francis Marion.............   35   37  -   72
Converse......................   33   35  -   68
3-point goals--Francis Marion 13-37 (Tionne Rollins 5-10; Ja'Lil Robinson
3-11; Nick Silva 3-8; Jose Benitez 2-5; Asante Turner 0-3), Converse 8-23
(Jay Mitchell 3-5; Jordan Warlick 2-3; Sigurd Lorange 2-7; Jimmie Sanders
III 1-4; Elijah Pitts 0-4). Fouled out--Francis Marion-None, Converse-None.
Rebounds--Francis Marion 34 (Ja'Lil Robinson 8), Converse 35 (Earl Burgess
III 11). Assists--Francis Marion 17 (Jonah Pierce 4; Jose Benitez 4),
Converse 18 (Sigurd Lorange 10). Total fouls--Francis Marion 16, Converse
13. Technical fouls--None. A-262