FLORENCE, SC -- Francis Marion University sophomore center Lauryn Taylor registered her fourth consecutive double-double with a career-high 30 points and 21 rebounds to power the Patriots to a 75-69 Conference Carolinas win over visiting Converse University, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 12) in women's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion improves to 13-9 overall and 12-8 in conference play.  The victory moves FMU into sixth place in the standings, only two games out of fourth position.  The Patriots will host 12th-ranked and league-leading Barton College on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
 
Less than 24 hours after dropping 29 points and 23 rebounds in a win over North Greenville University, Taylor again led FMU.  She connected on 13-of-21 field goal attempts, including 3-of-6 from behind the arc.
 
Freshman forward Kiana Lee followed Taylor with 12 points and five rebounds, while junior guard Scarlett Gilmore added 11 points and five rebounds.  Freshman Janiyah Hagood and Ke'Onna Bryant each chipped in seven points coming off the bench.
 
Sophomore guard Jordan Brown paced Converse (3-19, 2-17) with 21 points and five rebounds.
 
FMU scored the game's opening eight points and never trailed in the contest. The margin stood at 19-9 after freshman Jada Richards converted a driving lay-up to end the first quarter scoring.
 
The Valkyries pulled within 27-20 with 2:43 left before halftime, but the Patriots responded with an 8-0 spurt – including five points from Taylor – to swell the lead to 15 points.  FMU held a 35-22 advantage at halftime.
 
The margin stayed in double figures all through the third period with Francis Marion owning its largest lead at 59-39 following a three-point play by Bryant with 25 seconds left in the quarter.
 
A three-pointer by Hagood early in the fourth quarter restored the margin to 20 points at 62-42. A 16-foot jumper by Bryant gave Francis Marion a 72-56 advantage with 3:20 remaining.  However, Converse quickly closed the difference with a 13-0 run, capped by a hook shot by Brown with 18 ticks left, to make it one-possession contest.
 
Taylor made 1-of-2 free throws with 15 seconds remaining, and following a Converse miss, Lee sealed the victory with two more charity tosses.
 
Francis Marion shot 41.2 percent from the field, including 6-of-16 from three-point range, while hitting 13-of-18 free throws.  Converse was held to 37.3 percent shooting, including 7-of-21 from behind the arc, while the Valkyries made 12-of-15 at the foul line.
 
FMU held a commanding 51-20 rebounding edge and led 21-10 in second-chance points.
 

 
02/12/22 2:00 pm at Florence, SC
FRANCIS MARION 75, CONVERSE 69
CONVERSE (3-19,2-17 Confer)
Jordan Brown 7-14 6-9 21; Sydney Wilson 8-13 2-2 18; Lindsey Hardin 6-9 2-2
18; Zahra  Cross 2-16 0-0 5; Alisa  Davenport 1-9 2-2 5; Amaia  Parkins 1-4
0-0 2; Daven West 0-2 0-0 0; Alliee Patillo 0-0 0-0 0; Eva Carballo 0-0 0-0
0; Ayanna Parker 0-0 0-0 0; Colbie Perry 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-67 12-15 69.
FRANCIS MARION (13-9,12-8 Confer)
Lauryn Taylor 13-21 1-2 30; Kiana Lee 4-6 2-2 12; Scarlett Gilmore 5-10 1-1
11; Ke'Onna Bryant 3-4 1-1 7; Janiyah Hagood 2-7 2-2 7; Jasmine Stanley 0-3
4-4 4; Jada Richards 1-7 0-0 2; Jasmyne May 0-2 1-2 1; Aniyah Oliver 0-6 1-2
1; Myesha Huggins 0-2 0-0 0; MiLeia Owens 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 28-68 13-18 75.
Converse......................    9   13   20   27  -   69
Francis Marion................   19   16   24   16  -   75
3-point goals--Converse 7-21 (Lindsey Hardin 4-7; Zahra  Cross 1-7; Jordan
Brown 1-3; Alisa  Davenport 1-4), Francis Marion 6-16 (Lauryn Taylor 3-6;
Kiana Lee 2-2; Janiyah Hagood 1-3; Jada Richards 0-4; Scarlett Gilmore 0-1).
Fouled out--Converse-None, Francis Marion-None. Rebounds--Converse 30
(Sydney Wilson 9), Francis Marion 51 (Lauryn Taylor 21). Assists--Converse
16 (Amaia  Parkins 4), Francis Marion 16 (MiLeia Owens 4). Total
fouls--Converse 20, Francis Marion 16. Technical fouls--None. A-222