FLORENCE, SC – Senior swingman Bryce Beamer scored a game-high 22 points to lead four players in double figures as Francis Marion University handed interim head coach Jake Zehnder his first win, a 70-66 decision over Voorhees University, Saturday evening (Nov. 19) in non-conference men's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion evens its season mark at 1-1 and remains unbeaten all-time against the Tigers at 10-0.  It was the first Saturday night home contest for FMU in eight years.
 
The Patriots will open Conference Carolinas action at home on Tuesday when they entertain Chowan University at 7:30 p.m.
 
Beamer connected on 9-of-13 field goals attempts, including 4-of-7 from behind the three-point arc, while also grabbing seven rebounds and handing out three assists.  Sophomore Nick Silva scored 14 points off the bench, while sophomore center Jonah Pierce also came on in a reserve role and notched a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
 
FMU senior guard Tionne Rollins chipped in 11 points.
 
Junior guard Tyler Willoughby led Voorhees (5-4) with 13 points.
 
A short hook shot by Pierce with 3:37 remaining gave FMU a 65-64 advantage.  After a pair of misses by the Tigers, Beamer hit a turn-around jumper in the lane to up the margin to 67-64 with 1:59 on the clock.
 
After Pierce blocked a potential game-tying three-point attempt by Willoughby, Hector Rosario converted a lay-in to bring Voorhees to within 67-66 with 20 seconds left.
 
Silva drained a pair of free throws with 18 ticks remaining, and FMU survived another potential game-tying three-point attempt, this time by Terill Windom (it missed), before Rollins hit a clinching free throw with 2.6 seconds left.
 
Francis Marion shot 41.9 percent from the floor and made 11-of-16 free throws, while Voorhees connected on 43.5 percent of its field goal attempts and hit 5-of-8 attempts at the free throw stripe. 
 
A three-pointer by Beamer opened the game's scoring and Francis Marion would lead by as many as 10 in the opening stanza, before settling for a 43-38 halftime lead.
 
A jump shot by Beamer increased the margin to 48-40 early in the second half.  Voorhees gradually rallied, and took its second lead of the night at 54-53 near the 11-minute mark of the half.
 
Three-and-a-half minutes later, Beamer snapped a 60-60 deadlock with a three-pointer.

 
 
11/19/22 7:00 pm at Florence, SC
FRANCIS MARION 70, VOORHEES 66
VOORHEES (0-3)
Tyler Willoughby 6-14 0-0 13; Kristian Ford 3-4 3-4 12; Jordan Blue 5-7 0-0
10; Hector Rosario 5-10 0-0 10; Terrill Windom 3-8 1-1 9; Julius Phillips
3-11 0-0 7; Malachi Johnson 1-1 0-0 2; Omari Joseph 1-1 0-0 2; Dayreontae
Foster 0-2 1-3 1; Bryce Wilson 0-2 0-0 0; Keyshaun Fleetion 0-0 0-0 0;
Isaiah Sellers 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 27-62 5-8 66.
FRANCIS MARION (1-1,0-0 Conferen)
Bryce Beamer 9-13 0-0 22; Nick Silva 5-12 2-3 14; Jonah Pierce 6-9 0-0 12;
Tionne Rollins 3-14 4-4 11; Chandler O'Bannon 2-2 2-3 6; Alex Cox 1-7 2-4 4;
Farid SaintCyr Jr. 0-2 1-2 1; Yohan-Steve Yebga 0-0 0-0 0; Doug Alves 0-3
0-0 0. Totals 26-62 11-16 70.
Halftime: Francis Marion 43 Voorhees 38
3-point goals--Voorhees 7-23 (Kristian Ford 3-3; Terrill Windom 2-7; Julius
Phillips 1-4; Tyler Willoughby 1-5; Dayreontae Foster 0-1; Bryce Wilson 0-2;
Hector Rosario 0-1), Francis Marion 7-25 (Bryce Beamer 4-7; Nick Silva 2-5;
Tionne Rollins 1-7; Alex Cox 0-3; Farid SaintCyr Jr. 0-1; Doug Alves 0-2).
Fouled out--Voorhees-None, Francis Marion-None. Rebounds--Voorhees 33
(Dayreontae Foster 6), Francis Marion 42 (Jonah Pierce 11).
Assists--Voorhees 16 (Jordan Blue 6), Francis Marion 18 (Doug Alves 5).
Total fouls--Voorhees 14, Francis Marion 10. Technical fouls--None. A-707


                                            Coach Jake Zehnder in post-game presser after first win