NEWBERRY, SC – Senior center Lauryn Taylor scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Francis Marion University enjoyed his best shooting game in 13 seasons as the Patriots earned an 82-70 road win at Newberry College, Wednesday night (Nov. 15) in non-conference women's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion (1-2) will continue its season-opening road swing on Tuesday (Nov. 21) with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
 
In addition to posting her 29th career-double on 10-of-18 shooting from the floor, Taylor also handed out four assists.
 
Four other Patriot starters also scored in double digits: junior forward Kiana Lee 13, senior guard Aniyah Oliver 12, sophomore forward Trinity Adams 12, and junior guard Jada Richards 10.  Adams was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field as FMU connected on 60.0 percent of its field goal attempts – the highest figure since the 2010-11 season and the third best percentage this century.
 
FMU also hit 9-fo-18 shots from behind the three-point arc and was 7-of-9 at the free throw stripe.
 
April Rummery-Lamb led Newberry (1-2) with 27 points and seven rebounds.  The Wolves, coached by FMU alumnus ('04) and former Patriot basketball player Joanna Tincher, shot 48.2 percent from the floor, but only 3-of-12 from deep, and 13-of-17 at the foul line.
 
Francis Marion trailed only twice in the game, at 6-5 in the first quarter and 23-22 in the second.
 
In the opening period, a three-pointer by Taylor and a lay-up by Lee snapped an 8-8 deadlock and helped the Patriots to a 20-14 advantage.
 
In the second period after two free throws by Rummery-Lamg gave the Wolves their brief 23-22 advantage, buckets by Taylor, Adams, and Lee comprised a 6-0 spurt that put FMU ahead for good.  A jump shot by Lee extended the margin to 35-26 before Newberry tallied the final hoop of the first half to trail 35-28.
 
FMU connected on 10-of-14 field goal attempts in the third quarter en route to a 28-point outburst.  Taylor gave the Patriots a double-figure lead at 42-32. Later in the period with FMU up 55-41, the Patriots rattled off eight straight points – three-pointers by freshman Nevaeh Farmer and Oliver and two free throws by Taylor – to stretch the lead to 22 points at 63-41.
 
Holding a 63-47 advantage heading in the final quarter, FMU kept the margin in double figures for the remainder of the game.
 
Taylor pushed her career point total to 1,208 and moved past former Patriot guards Fenissa Rice, Kim Slawson, and Brittany Young and into 21st place on the FMU career scoring list.
 
 
11/15/23 5:30 pm at Newberry, SC
FRANCIS MARION 82, NEWBERRY 70
FRANCIS MARION (1-2)
Lauryn Taylor 10-18 3-3 26; Kiana Lee 6-13 0-1 13; Aniyah Oliver 4-6 2-2 12;
Trinity Adams 5-5 1-1 12; Jada Richards 4-8 1-2 10; Trinity Delaney 2-2 0-0
4; Nevaeh Farmer 1-1 0-0 3; Sommer Joseph 1-1 0-0 2; Lauren Brokken 0-0 0-0
0; Gabby Evans 0-0 0-0 0; MacKenzie Feagin 0-1 0-0 0; Sydney Turner 0-0 0-0
0. Totals 33-55 7-9 82.
NEWBERRY (1-2)
April Rummery-Lamb 11-18 5-6 27; Jess Tomkins 4-8 1-1 9; Nadia  Burns 2-5
4-4 8; Ella Pearson 3-4 1-2 8; Julia Paoletta 3-7 1-2 7; Deshona  Gaither
2-7 1-2 6; Jenna Yanity 1-2 0-0 3; Payton Cronen 1-5 0-0 2; Dyani Burke 0-0
0-0 0; Alyssa  Woodlock 0-0 0-0 0; Chloe Andrew 0-0 0-0 0; Hannah Nimmo 0-0
0-0 0; Gabreyel Cook 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-56 13-17 70.
Francis Marion..............   20   15   28   19  -   82
Newberry......................   16   12   19   23  -   70
3-point goals--Francis Marion 9-18 (Lauryn Taylor 3-5; Aniyah Oliver 2-2;
Trinity Adams 1-1; Jada Richards 1-4; Kiana Lee 1-4; Nevaeh Farmer 1-1;
MacKenzie Feagin 0-1), Newberry 3-12 (Ella Pearson 1-1; Deshona  Gaither
1-2; Jenna Yanity 1-2; Julia Paoletta 0-3; Payton Cronen 0-4). Fouled
out--Francis Marion-None, Newberry-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 24 (Lauryn
Taylor 11), Newberry 29 (April Rummery-Lamb 7). Assists--Francis Marion 13
(Trinity Adams 4; Lauryn Taylor 4), Newberry 18 (Julia Paoletta 3; Jess
Tomkins 3; Payton Cronen 3). Total fouls--Francis Marion 17, Newberry 17.
Technical fouls--None. A-317