AIKEN, SC – The Francis Marion University men's basketball team fell to 20th-ranked USC Aiken 99-66 on Saturday (Dec. 16).
 
The Patriots return to the court on Monday (Dec. 18) for their home opener against Converse University. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. in the newly renovated Smith University Center.
 
Leading Francis Marion (3-7) in scoring was sophomore guard Willie Patterson III with 13 points, while shooting 3-for-7 from the field and 5-for-6 from the free throw line.
 
Following Patterson III was senior forward Bryce Beamer with 12 points. Freshman guard Horaces Jacques Jr. shot 5-of-10 from the floor and registered 11 points to be the third Patriot scoring in double digits.
 
Junior forward Ibrahim Wattara and senior forward Marlow Gilmore Jr. each grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
 
Francis Marion held a slight edge over USC Aiken with a 75 percent free throw percentage compared to the Pacers' 60 percent.
 
Leading the Pacers (8-1) was Tyler Johnson who scored 21 points.
 
USC Aiken jumped to an early 11-2 lead over the Patriots. With a deep three-pointer from senior guard Tionne Rollins, he attempted to change the momentum in Francis Marion's favor as they trailed 25-18. The Pacers opened a 19-point margin at 47-28, but FMU scored the half's final 10 points to trail 47-38 at intermission.
 
Starting off the second half, Wattara scored on a layup to bring Francis Marion within seven points; and a jumper by Rollins at the 16:58 mark again cut the deficit to seven (53-46). USCA answered with an 18-0 over the next five minutes and stretched their lead to 25 points.  
 
 
12/16/23 3:30 p.m. at Aiken, S.C. (Convocation Center)
USC AIKEN 99, FRANCIS MARION 66
FRANCIS MARION (3-7)
Willie Patterson III 3-7 5-6 13; Bryce Beamer 4-7 4-5 12; Horaces Jacques
Jr. 5-10 0-0 11; Hudson Spivey 1-3 4-5 7; Tionne Rollins 2-6 2-2 7; Farid
SaintCyr Jr. 1-6 1-2 4; Marlow Gilmore Jr. 2-5 0-0 4; Jy Gladden 1-2 0-0 2;
Ibrahim Wattara 1-5 0-2 2; Matthew Lee 0-0 2-2 2; Niko Noumeros 1-2 0-0 2;
Adonis Cole 0-0 0-0 0; Chandler O'Bannon 0-6 0-0 0; Jose Figueroa 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 21-59 18-24 66.
USC AIKEN (8-1)
Tyler Johnson 8-15 0-0 21; Demitrios Dixon 6-11 0-0 15; Tehree Horn 4-8 2-2
12; Jalen McCoy 5-11 0-2 10; Jameel Rideout 3-9 0-0 8; Devin Evans 3-7 1-4
8; Dwight Canady, Jr. 3-7 0-0 7; Rhyjon Blackwell 2-5 2-2 7; Simeon German
2-2 2-3 6; Jammy Pierre-Louis 1-1 2-2 5; Melvin Archie 0-1 0-0 0; Chedlet
Delva 0-0 0-0 0; Samarion Bond 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 37-78 9-15 99.
Francis Marion...............   38   28  -   66
USC Aiken.....................   47   52  -   99
3-point goals--FMU 6-27 (Willie Patterson III 2-4; Farid SaintCyr Jr. 1-6;
Hudson Spivey 1-3; Tionne Rollins 1-3; Horaces Jacques Jr. 1-5; Niko
Noumeros 0-1; Chandler O'Bannon 0-3; Ibrahim Wattara 0-1; Bryce Beamer 0-1),
USC Aiken 16-41 (Tyler Johnson 5-10; Demitrios Dixon 3-6; Jameel Rideout
2-6; Tehree Horn 2-5; Rhyjon Blackwell 1-3; Jammy Pierre-Louis 1-1; Devin
Evans 1-3; Dwight Canady, Jr. 1-5; Melvin Archie 0-1; Samarion Bond 0-1).
Fouled out--FMU-None, USC Aiken-None. Rebounds--FMU 40 (Ibrahim Wattara 7;
Horaces Jacques Jr. 7; Marlow Gilmore Jr. 7), USC Aiken 45 (Tehree Horn 7;
Simeon German 7; Chedlet Delva 7). Assists--FMU 10 (Farid SaintCyr Jr. 3),
USC Aiken 23 (Demitrios Dixon 7). Total fouls--FMU 16, USC Aiken 18.
Technical fouls--FMU-Horaces Jacques Jr. A-423