CHARLOTTE, NC – Sophomore guard Kiana Lee scored a career-high 21 points, hauled down 11 rebounds, and a perfect 9-of-9 at the charity stripe as Francis Marion University grabbed a 72-67 win over Johnson C. Smith University, Monday afternoon (Jan. 2) in non-conference women's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion (5-6) will continue their road trip for a Conference Carolinas matchup against Lees-McRae College on Wednesday (Jan. 4) at 5 p.m. in Williams Gymnasium.
 
FMU junior center Lauryn Taylor posted team-high 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting and reeled in a game-high 14 rebounds (seven offensive). Senior guard Scarlett Gilmore added nine points, six rebounds, and two steals. Lee, a product of North Augusta High School, totaled her 21 points on 6-of-14 shooting.
 
Senior guard Shaniya Jones recorded 23 points and graduate student Le'Zarea Bowens dropped 21 points for Johnson C. Smith (4-7).
 
With the Patriots and Golden Bulls tied at 2-2 early in the first quarter, FMU sparked a 9-0 run to gain the lead. The run by the Patriots included a layup and charity stripe make from Taylor, a three-pointer Gilmore, and a three-pointer from Taylor to make the score 11-2 with 4:56 in the first quarter. After missing 10 of their first 11 shots, the Golden Bulls would draw back within five when JCSU's Tori Reid scored a jumper in the paint, but the Patriots would jump back ahead by eight (19-11) entering the second quarter after sophomore guard Janiyah Hagood drilled a three-pointer.
 
The Patriots took their largest lead of the contest after a sophomore guard Jada Richards' layup to open the second quarter. JCSU's Jones cut FMU's lead to five after nailing a shot from behind the arc with 7:46 remaining in the half. Consecutive jumpers by Jones and Bowens brought the Golden Bulls to within 24-22, but FMU would quickly jump their lead back up to six points at 28-22.
 
The Golden Bulls once again trimmed the Patriot's lead, this time to a one-point differential (30-29) with 2:24 remaining. With forty-four seconds in the half, Lee would knock down both attempts from the charity stripe and nudge the Patriots ahead by three. Patriot guard Aniyah Oliver knocked down a layup with seven seconds remaining to give FMU a five-point lead going into halftime, 34-29.
 
The Patriots would see their lead cut to three after a Jones layup in the third period. The Patriots would score five quick points and lead 39-31 with 7:37 left in the quarter. Johnson C. Smith would cut Francis Marion's lead on multiple occasions, including India Howard cutting the lead to two points with 4:19 remaining in the quarter. The Golden Bulls trimmed FMU's lead to three twice in the last two minutes of the third quarter, but FMU would enter the fourth quarter leading 50-47.
 
After multiple efforts in the fourth quarter by the Golden Bulls to claim the lead, Francis Marion would trail for the first time as Johnson C. Smith's Bowens made a layup to go up 55-54. The Patriots turned on the gas as soon as the Golden Bulls pulled ahead. A back-and-forth affair between the sides would go on until the 3:46 mark, and Taylor would knock down a much-needed three-point shot to give FMU a two-point lead at 61-59.
 
The Golden Bulls would tie the score two times after the Taylor shot, the final time at 63-63.  Two free throws by freshman Trinity Adams pushed the Patriots ahead 65-63 and Lee added a jumper in the paint to make the margin four entering the final minute.
 
Francis Marion then sealed the win by hitting 5-of-6 free throws over the final 37 seconds.
 
Francis Marion shot 35.9 percent from the floor and was 22-of-31 at the charity stripe, while Johnson C. Smith registered 38.6 percent shooting and was 11-of-16 at the charity stripe.
 
 
01/02/23 1:00PM at Charlotte,NC - Brayboy Gym
FRANCIS MARION 72, JOHNSON C. SMITH 67
FRANCIS MARION (5-6)
Lauryn Taylor 9-18 2-4 22; Kiana Lee 6-14 9-9 21; Scarlett Gilmore 2-12 4-6
9; Aniyah Oliver 2-4 2-2 6; Jada Richards 3-7 0-2 6; Trinity Adams 0-2 5-8
5; Janiyah Hagood 1-1 0-0 3; Jasmine Stanley 0-3 0-0 0; MiLeia Owens 0-2 0-0
0; Alexis Sexton 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-64 22-31 72.
JOHNSON C. SMITH (4-7)
Shaniya Jones 10-19 2-2 23; Le'Zarea Bowens 9-17 3-4 21; Tori Reid 3-7 0-2
6; Najah Lane 2-12 0-0 5; India Howard 2-9 1-2 5; Aaliyah Bell 0-3 4-4 4;
Alexis Daley-Ellis 1-3 1-2 3. Totals 27-70 11-16 67.
Francis Marion................   19   15   16   22  -   72
Johnson C. Smith............  11   18   18   20  -   67
3-point goals--Francis Marion 4-18 (Lauryn Taylor 2-4; Janiyah Hagood 1-1;
Scarlett Gilmore 1-5; Jada Richards 0-2; Trinity Adams 0-1; Alexis Sexton
0-1; Aniyah Oliver 0-2; Kiana Lee 0-2), Johnson C. Smith 2-8 (Shaniya Jones
1-4; Najah Lane 1-2; Alexis Daley-Ellis 0-1; Le'Zarea Bowens 0-1). Fouled
out--Francis Marion-None, Johnson C. Smith-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 48
(Lauryn Taylor 14), Johnson C. Smith 45 (India Howard 11). Assists--Francis
Marion 11 (Kiana Lee 3; Jada Richards 3), Johnson C. Smith 17 (Aaliyah Bell
9). Total fouls--Francis Marion 16, Johnson C. Smith 20. Technical
fouls--None. A-75