HARTSVILLE, SC – Senior guard Tionne Rollins scored a game-high 21 points, but Francis Marion University fell in its season opener 74-60 to home-standing Coker University, Wednesday evening (Nov. 16) in non-conference men's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion will play its home opener on Saturday night at 7 p.m. against Voorhees University.
 
Senior guard Alex Cox followed Rollins with 12 points, while senior swingman Bryce Beamer – playing his first game as a Patriot – added 11 points.  Sophomore 6-8 center Jonah Pierce scored five points, but hauled down a career-high equaling 14 rebounds.
 
Guard Demar Anderson led three Coker players in double figures with 18 points.
 
Coker scored the game's opening bucket and never trailed.  The margin grew to 11-1 and later 27-10 before the Patriots rallied to within 31-20.  However, the Cobras scored the final four points of the half to hold a 35-20 advantage at intermission.
 
Five points from Rollins and a fast-break lay-in by sophomore Farid SaintCyr Jr. fueled a 7-0 Patriot spurt that trimmed the margin to 48-40 with 8:12 remaining.  Coker scored the next six points to push the lead back to 14.
 
A left-corner three-pointer by Beamer cut the deficit to 62-53 with 3:30 left.  Following a Cobra miss, FMU had a chance to get within six, but a three-pointer missed and Coker would eventually hold on for the win.
 
Francis Marion shot 40.3 percent from the floor, including 5-of-19 from behind the arc, while the Cobras connected on 40.0 percent of their shots and were 6-of-19 from deep.
 
 
11/16/22 7:30 pm at Hartsville, SC
COKER 74, FRANCIS MARION 60
FRANCIS MARION (0-1,0-0 Conferen)
Tionne Rollins 8-19 3-7 21; Alex Cox 5-9 1-1 12; Bryce Beamer 5-13 0-0 11;
Farid SaintCyr Jr. 4-6 0-2 9; Jonah Pierce 2-5 1-2 5; Nick Silva 1-3 0-0 2;
Austin Harrell 0-0 0-0 0; Yohan-Steve Yebga 0-4 0-0 0; Chandler O'Bannon 0-3
0-2 0; Asante Turner 0-0 0-0 0; Doug Alves 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-62 5-14 60.
COKER (3-0,0-0 SAC)
Demar Anderson 6-20 4-5 18; Jordan Jones 4-11 6-8 15; Tate Mulkey 4-4 1-2
12; Jamie Muldowney 4-6 1-2 9; Mahmoud Bangura 4-8 0-0 8; Zavier Measmer 0-4
4-4 4; Marvin Brumfield 1-4 2-2 4; Glenn Bynum 1-3 2-3 4. Totals 24-60 20-26 74.
Halftime: Coker 35 Francis Marion 20
3-point goals--Francis Marion 5-19 (Tionne Rollins 2-8; Farid SaintCyr Jr.
1-2; Bryce Beamer 1-4; Alex Cox 1-4; Nick Silva 0-1), Coker 6-19 (Tate
Mulkey 3-3; Demar Anderson 2-6; Jordan Jones 1-1; Zavier Measmer 0-3; Marvin
Brumfield 0-3; Glenn Bynum 0-1; Mahmoud Bangura 0-1; Jamie Muldowney 0-1).
Fouled out--Francis Marion-Bryce Beamer, Coker-None. Rebounds--Francis
Marion 42 (Jonah Pierce 14), Coker 40 (Jordan Jones 9; Mahmoud Bangura 9).
Assists--Francis Marion 10 (Alex Cox 4), Coker 14 (Jordan Jones 5). Total
fouls--Francis Marion 24, Coker 14. Technical fouls--Francis Marion-Alex
Cox; Farid SaintCyr Jr.; Chandler O'Bannon; Yohan-Steve Yebga, Coker-Mahmoud
Bangura; Glenn Bynum 2. A-515