FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Francis Marion University trailed third-ranked Nova Southeastern University by only 10 points with 8:40 left, but the Sharks pulled away to a 102-82 non-conference win on Saturday (Nov. 26) snapping the Patriots' three-game winning streak.
 
Francis Marion, now 3-2, will return home to host Newberry College on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. in the Smith University Center. The contest will be the back-half of a doubleheader as the FMU women will entertain Lenoir-Rhyne University at 5:30 p.m.
 
Senior guard Alex Cox led FMU with a season-high 20 points, while also registering four assists and three steals.  Senior forward Bryce Beamer notched his first double-double as a Patriot with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while senior guard Tionne Rollins added 13 points.
 
RJ Sunahara led unbeaten Nova Southeastern (5-0) with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists.
 
The Sharks never trailed in the contest.  The score was deadlocked early at 5-5, but Nova Southeastern pulled away to leads of 13-6, 23-11, and eventually 53-33 at intermission after Mike Moore hit a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer.
 
Francis Marion came out for the second half and hit seven of its first nine shots and drew to within 57-48 after a fast-break lay-in by Cox.  That bucket capped an 11-0 run.
 
The margin was further trimmed to 69-61 when FMU sophomore Nick Silva converted a lay-up with 10:12 remaining.
 
A three-pointer by Cox kept the Patriots within 10 at 76-66 with 8:40 left, but that would be as close as Francis Marion would get.
 
Francis Marion connected on 48.4 percent of its field goal attempts, including 10-of-22 from three-point distance, and was 12-of-20 at the foul line.  The Sharks shot 48.7 percent, including 9-of-27 from behind the arc, and were 17-of-21 on free throw attempts.
 
 
11/26/22 4:00 pm at Fort Lauderdale, FL
#3 NOVA SOUTHEASTERN 102, FRANCIS MARION 82
FRANCIS MARION (3-2)
Alex Cox 8-14 0-0 20; Bryce Beamer 6-10 1-2 15; Tionne Rollins 3-10 5-5 13;
Nick Silva 4-7 1-3 9; Farid SaintCyr Jr. 3-7 0-0 6; Jonah Pierce 3-4 0-0 6;
Asante Turner 1-1 2-2 5; Darius Jones 1-1 0-0 3; Yohan-Steve Yebga 0-0 2-4
2; Doug Alves 1-6 0-0 2; Chandler O'Bannon 0-2 1-4 1; Zy'Kee Knox 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 30-62 12-20 82.
NOVA SOUTHEASTERN (5-0)
RJ Sunahara 10-20 7-9 27; Will Yoakum 7-12 5-6 22; Jonathan Pierre 8-13 0-0
18; Lukas Speidel 4-7 2-2 10; Kobe Rodgers 3-7 0-0 7; Mike Moore 2-6 1-2 7;
Tomas Murphy 2-4 2-2 6; Dallas Graziani 2-9 0-0 5; Shane Hunter 0-0 0-0 0;
Alex Mangold 0-0 0-0 0; Tommy Sala 0-0 0-0 0; Ryan Davis 0-0 0-0 0. Totals
38-78 17-21 102.
Halftime: Nova Southeastern 53 Francis Marion 33
3-point goals--Francis Marion 10-22 (Alex Cox 4-6; Bryce Beamer 2-3; Tionne
Rollins 2-5; Darius Jones 1-1; Asante Turner 1-1; Doug Alves 0-2; Farid
SaintCyr Jr. 0-3; Nick Silva 0-1), Nova Southeastern 9-27 (Will Yoakum 3-7;
Jonathan Pierre 2-5; Mike Moore 2-5; Dallas Graziani 1-6; Kobe Rodgers 1-2;
RJ Sunahara 0-2). Fouled out--Francis Marion-None, Nova Southeastern-None.
Rebounds--Francis Marion 34 (Bryce Beamer 11), Nova Southeastern 46 (RJ
Sunahara 11). Assists--Francis Marion 14 (Alex Cox 4), Nova Southeastern 26
(Jonathan Pierre 6). Total fouls--Francis Marion 20, Nova Southeastern 18.
Technical fouls--None. A-282