WINGATE, NC – A bucket and a free throw by Francis Marion University junior center Lauryn Taylor tied up the game in the fourth quarter, but a late spurt by Coker University resulted in a 68-62 FMU loss to the local-rival Cobras on Saturday night (Nov. 12), the final night of the Conference Carolinas/South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Challenge.
 
Francis Marion (0-2) will have its home opener Wednesday (Nov. 16) against Newberry College (0-2) at 5:30 p.m. in the Smith University Center.
 
Taylor, a 5-11 native of Blythewood, led FMU with 21 points on 8-of-20 shooting. She hauled down a team-high nine rebounds (five offensively), blocked two shots, and grabbed a steal. Sophomore guard Kianna Lee recorded 12 points (on 4-of-5 shooting) and pulled in six rebounds.
 
FMU senior guard Scarlett Gilmore posted nine points while bringing down four rebounds, while junior guard Aniyah Oliver dished out a team-high five assists, grabbed five rebounds, and scored eight points. Oliver also was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw stripe.
 
Patriot first-year forward Trinity Adams posted six points, six rebounds, and blocked two shots as well.
  
Guard Abigail Keesling led Coker (2-0) with 17 points, while forward Valicia Demeritte had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Cobras.
 
The Patriots shot 33.3 percent from the floor, including 4-of-13 from behind the three-point arc. Coker connected on 31.9 percent of its shots and 6-of-21 from long range. FMU went 20-of-29 from the free throw stripe, while the Cobras sank 18-of-24.
 
FMU converted 13 Cobra turnovers into nine points.
 
Francis Marion opened the first quarter on a 6-0 run and led by as much as nine while never trailing. Coker would grab the lead for the first time (25-24) in the second quarter with 6:17 remaining.
 
The Patriots would snatch it right back after a Lee three-point make at 27-25. A three-pointer from Coker's Keesling put the Cobras ahead by one, but a free throw make by Lee and a mid-range jumper by freshmen Alexis Sexton would push the Patriots ahead by two 32-30 going into halftime.
 
The Patriots would the lead until another three-pointer by Keelsing propelled the Cobras ahead 39-38. FMU and Coker would battle back and forth until two baskets from Taylor took the Patriots from down one to up 53-50 with under a minute left in the third.
 
Adams would hit a jumper to start the fourth quarter, but that would be answered by the Cobras to trim the margin to 55-54. A layup by Coker's Mya Wasswa would give the Cobras the lead back and they would never trail the rest of the game. Francis Marion did tie it up at 60-60 after the three-point play by Taylor with 2:58 left.
 
Coker finished the game with an 8-2 spurt.
 
 
11/12/22 5 PM at Wingate, N.C.
COKER 68, FRANCIS MARION 62
FRANCIS MARION (0-2)
Lauryn Taylor 8-20 4-5 21; Kiana Lee 4-5 3-5 12; Scarlett Gilmore 3-12 1-2
9; Aniyah Oliver 1-8 6-6 8; Trinity Adams 2-4 2-5 6; Alexis Sexton 1-1 2-2
4; Jasmine Stanley 0-4 1-2 1; MiLeia Owens 0-0 1-2 1; Jada Richards 0-3 0-0
0. Totals 19-57 20-29 62.
COKER (2-0)
Keesling,Abigail 3-8 8-10 17; Demeritte,Valicia 7-11 1-2 15; Knight,Kristynn
3-8 2-3 9; Rodriguez,Dominique 2-10 2-2 8; McClure,Haley 2-3 2-2 6;
Lambert,Dasia 1-6 2-2 4; Jackson,Diamond 2-8 0-0 4; Nelson, Ashauntee 1-6
1-3 3; Wasswa,Mya 1-6 0-0 2; Etheredge,Malayziah 0-0 0-0 0; Whaley,Janae 0-0
0-0 0; Richardson,Hope 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 22-69 18-24 68.
Francis Marion...........   19   13   21    9  -   62
Coker.........................   18   12   22   16  -   68
3-point goals--Francis Marion 4-13 (Scarlett Gilmore 2-7; Kiana Lee 1-1;
Lauryn Taylor 1-2; Jada Richards 0-1; Aniyah Oliver 0-2), Coker 6-21
(Keesling,Abigail 3-6; Rodriguez,Dominique 2-5; Knight,Kristynn 1-2;
Lambert,Dasia 0-2; Nelson, Ashauntee 0-3; Wasswa,Mya 0-1; Demeritte,Valicia
0-2). Fouled out--Francis Marion-None, Coker-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion
44 (Lauryn Taylor 9), Coker 50 (Demeritte,Valicia 13). Assists--Francis
Marion 8 (Aniyah Oliver 5), Coker 12 (Wasswa,Mya 2; Demeritte,Valicia 2;
Keesling,Abigail 2). Total fouls--Francis Marion 21, Coker 24. Technical
fouls--None. A-111