BANNER ELK, NC – In less than 72 hours, sophomore guard Kiana Lee improved upon her career-high in points by posting 27 as Francis Marion University took down Lees-McRae College for a 77-58 win, Wednesday night (Jan. 4) in Conference Carolinas women's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion (6-6, 4-2), winners of fourth straight, will return home to the Walter D. Smith University Center to host King (Tenn.) University on Saturday (Jan. 7) at 2 p.m.
 
Facing Johnson C. Smith University on Monday, Lee dropped her previous career-high of 21 points in a 72-67 win. Against the Bobcats on Wednesday, the North Augusta High School product shot 11-of-14 from the floor, reeled in nine rebounds, and dished out a team-high three assists.
 
FMU junior center Lauryn Taylor tallied 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting and a game-high 13 rebounds (six offensive), while grabbing two steals. Sophomore guard Jada Richards added 10 points while knocking down two shots from behind the arc.
 
Senior guard Jala Holloman recorded 16 points and senior forward Arriana Lizarraga dropped 11 points for Lees-McRae (1-11, 0-7).
 
The Bobcats opened the contest with two baskets from forward Aurora Roberts to go up 5-2, but that would be the last time they held a lead all night as FMU's Taylor and senior guard Scarlett Gilmore knocked down consecutive three-pointers to push the Patriots ahead 8-5.
 
Lizarraga would help the Bobcats tie the score on two occasions (10-10 and 12-12), but that would be the closest they would get the rest of the contest, as the Patriots would pull away and lead by seven heading into the second quarter. Lee posted 10 of her 27 points in that first quarter.
 
Richards splashed a three-pointer out of the gate in the second quarter to give the Patriots their first 10-point lead of the game, 27-17. Lees-McRae made an effort to close the gap down by 12 at 31-19 by scoring five straight making it 31-24 with 5:14 left in the half. The Patriots scored 13 points to end the half and headed to the locker room up 44-27.
 
To begin the second half, Patriot junior guard Aniyah Oliver drained a three-pointer to give FMU its first 20-point lead of the contest at 47-27. It was all Francis Marion the rest of the way, as the Patriots would score 33 in the second half and close out the conference victory.
 
Francis Marion shot 46.0 percent from the floor, including 8-of-20 from behind the three-point arc, and was 11-of-17 at the charity stripe. Lees-McRae shot 30.2 percent from the floor, sinking 7-of-27 from behind the three-point arc, and was 13-of-18 at the foul line. The Patriots had 16 fast break points and over half of their points were scored in the paint (40).
 
 
01/04/23 5:00 pm at Banner Elk, NC
FRANCIS MARION 77, LEES-MCRAE 58
FRANCIS MARION (6-6, 4-2)
Kiana Lee 11-14 3-3 27; Lauryn Taylor 7-15 5-8 20; Jada Richards 4-8 0-0 10;
Scarlett Gilmore 2-6 2-2 7; Aniyah Oliver 2-8 0-0 6; Trinity Adams 2-6 0-0
4; Alexis Sexton 1-3 0-0 2; Jasmine Stanley 0-2 1-4 1; Myesha Huggins 0-0
0-0 0; Janiyah Hagood 0-1 0-0 0; MiLeia Owens 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-63 11-17
77.
LEES-MCRAE (1-11, 0-7)
Jala Holloman 5-14 3-4 16; Arriana Lizarraga 5-11 0-0 11; Aurora Roberts
3-13 2-2 9; Jasonnia Burleson 1-1 4-4 6; Mya Lewis 2-3 0-0 6; Sandra Mason
1-7 1-2 3; McKenna Kersat 1-4 1-2 3; Stephanie Kucy 1-2 1-2 3; Dianna Spence
0-2 1-2 1; Jessica Henderson 0-4 0-0 0; Thailand Smith 0-2 0-0 0; Rachel
Leath 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-63 13-18 58.
Francis Marion................   24   20   16   17  -   77
Lees-McRae....................   17   10   20   11  -   58
3-point goals--Francis Marion 8-20 (Jada Richards 2-4; Kiana Lee 2-2; Aniyah
Oliver 2-4; Scarlett Gilmore 1-3; Lauryn Taylor 1-5; Alexis Sexton 0-1;
Trinity Adams 0-1), Lees-McRae 7-27 (Jala Holloman 3-11; Mya Lewis 2-3;
Arriana Lizarraga 1-3; Aurora Roberts 1-3; Stephanie Kucy 0-1; Dianna Spence
0-1; Jessica Henderson 0-2; Sandra Mason 0-3). Fouled out--Francis
Marion-None, Lees-McRae-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 48 (Lauryn Taylor
13), Lees-McRae 36 (Jessica Henderson 6). Assists--Francis Marion 12 (Kiana
Lee 3), Lees-McRae 8 (Aurora Roberts 2; Sandra Mason 2; Jessica Henderson
2). Total fouls--Francis Marion 18, Lees-McRae 14. Technical fouls--None. A-103