FLORENCE, SC – Senior forward Jasmine Stanley and junior center Lauryn Taylor each scored 17 points to lead Francis Marion University to a 75-41 rout of visiting Erskine College, Saturday (Jan. 14) in Conference Carolinas women's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion (8-6, 6-2) has won six straight contests and currently remains tied for third in conference standings.  The Patriots will take to the road for a pair of conference matchups, Southern Wesleyan University on Monday at 5 p.m. and the University of Mount Olive on Wednesday at 5 p.m., before returning to the Smith University Center for a Battle of I-95 rematch with UNC Pembroke on Saturday (Jan. 21).
 
Stanley posted her third double-double of the campaign by grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds, while Taylor was one rebound shy of a double-double with nine rebounds, but did add two assists and one block.
 
FMU freshman forward Trinity Adams scored 12 points off the bench and sophomore guard Kiana Lee chipped in 11.  Junior guard Aniyah Oliver did not register a point, but looked in the flow as the playmaker dishing out 10 assists, also tallying four rebounds and one steal and not committing a turnover.
 
Junior guard Shanece Mitchell and sophomore guard Ianna Odulaja both led Erskine (4-9, 2-7) with 11 points each.
 
The Patriots pounced on the Flying Fleet from the opening jump ball, holding their opponent scoreless for the first 5:59 of the first quarter, while building a 12-0 lead.  A converted and-one by Odulaja put Erskine on the scoreboard to make it 12-3, however Francis Marion ended the first period with a 24-4 advantage.
 
At the 7:10 mark in the second quarter, Taylor seized her 500th career rebound, before leading the Patriots to a 40-17 advantage to end the half.
 
The second half was much like the first half for FMU, as the Flying Fleet were never able to cut the deficit below 20.  At the 7:14 mark in the fourth quarter, a layup by sophomore Janiyah Hagood pushed the Patriot lead to 30, where it remained until the clock ran out.
 
The largest lead for the Patriots was 37 on two occasions in the final period.
 
Francis Marion doubled up on Erskine in the paint, outscoring the Flying Fleet 38-18.  FMU shot 47.5 percent from the field, including a blistering 66.7 percent (8-of-13) from behind the arc, and knocking down 9-of-12 free throws.  Erskine connected on 23.0 percent of its shots and was 8-of-12 at the foul stripe.
 
The win over Erskine marks a season high in assists for Francis Marion, with the team giving out a helping hand 24 times.

 
 
01/14/23 2:00 pm at Florence, SC
FRANCIS MARION 75, ERSKINE 41
ERSKINE (4-9, 2-7)
Shanece Mitchell 4-9 1-1 11; Ianna Odulaja 3-13 4-5 11; Albany Wilson 3-19
3-4 10; Essence Caviness 1-1 0-0 3; Alexis Burce 1-7 0-2 2; Janelle Carter
1-5 0-0 2; Suniyah Rollins 1-6 0-0 2; Aricka Moore 0-0 0-0 0; Tyra Sullivan
0-1 0-0 0. Totals 14-61 8-12 41.
FRANCIS MARION (8-6, 6-2)
Jasmine Stanley 7-14 3-3 17; Lauryn Taylor 6-11 4-4 17; Trinity Adams 5-10
2-3 12; Kiana Lee 4-6 0-0 11; Janiyah Hagood 3-3 0-0 8; Jada Richards 3-10
0-0 8; Alexis Sexton 1-2 0-0 2; Aniyah Oliver 0-5 0-2 0; MiLeia Owens 0-0
0-0 0. Totals 29-61 9-12 75.
Erskine.......................    4   13   10   14  -   41
Francis Marion..........   24   16   15   20  -   75
3-point goals--Erskine 5-26 (Shanece Mitchell 2-3; Essence Caviness 1-1;
Albany Wilson 1-10; Ianna Odulaja 1-5; Tyra Sullivan 0-1; Suniyah Rollins
0-2; Janelle Carter 0-1; Alexis Burce 0-3), Francis Marion 8-13 (Kiana Lee
3-3; Janiyah Hagood 2-2; Jada Richards 2-4; Lauryn Taylor 1-3; Trinity Adams
0-1). Fouled out--Erskine-None, Francis Marion-None. Rebounds--Erskine 33
(Albany Wilson 7), Francis Marion 44 (Jasmine Stanley 11). Assists--Erskine
8 (Alexis Burce 3), Francis Marion 24 (Aniyah Oliver 10). Total
fouls--Erskine 15, Francis Marion 10. Technical fouls--None. A-237