FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University senior forward Marlow Gilmore Jr. paced the Patriots with a career-high of 26 points against Converse University, but the Patriots dropped their home opener 97-87 on Monday (Dec. 18) night in Conference Carolinas men's basketball action.
 
FMU will be back in action after the Christmas break on Wednesday, Jan. 3, at the University of Mount Olive. Tip-off will take place at 7 p.m.
 
Gilmore Jr. registered a near-perfect shooting night, hitting 10-of-11 field goal attempts and 6-of-7 free throws.  Shooting 8-for-17 from the floor, senior guard Tionne Rollins followed with 19 points of his own.  Senior forward Bryce Beamer notched another double-double by dropped 16 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Other Patriots scoring in double digits were junior guard Farid SaintCyr Jr. and freshman guard Horaces Jacques Jr. with 14 and 12 points respectively.
 
Francis Marion (3-8, 1-2) held a slight advantage over Converse with a 76.5 free throw percentage compared to the Valkyries' 64.7 percentage. The Patriots also outrebounded Converse, grabbing a total of 36, while Converse collected 31.
 
Leading the Valkyries (9-1, 3-1) in scoring was Earl Burgess III and C.J. Jamison who posted 19 points apiece.  Converse is ranked sixth in this week's Southeast Region poll.
 
Early in the first half, FMU took the lead with buckets from SaintCyr Jr. and Gilmore Jr. The lead was short-lived as Converse went up by one on a steal from Joel Pullen and a lay-up by Burgess III. Francis Marion exchanged leads once again and increased their margin to seven nearing the end of the first half. Closing in on halftime, the Valkyries drew to within one point at 40-39.
 
Entering the second half of the contest, Converse jumped to a lead of 47-40 after an 8-0 spurt. Buckets from Gilmore Jr. and Beamer brought Francis Marion to within one point at 51-50. Holding a two-point margin at 60-58, Converse used an 18-4 run to take a 16-point advantage with 8:48 left.
 
Despite FMU trimming that margin to only two, at 83-81 following a three-pointer by Jacques Jr. with 2:39 remaining, Converse scored the next eight points to hold on for the road victory.

 
 
12/18/23 7:30 pm at Florence, SC
CONVERSE 97, FRANCIS MARION 87
CONVERSE (9-1,3-1)
Earl Burgess III 7-10 5-6 19; C.J. Jamison 7-11 2-7 19; Uzziah Dawkins 5-9
7-8 18; Edo Buffo 5-10 0-0 14; Joel  Pullen 4-6 3-6 12; Kervens Yacinthe 3-4
2-2 10; Malcolm Morgan 1-3 2-3 4; Jay Mitchell 0-4 1-2 1; Chuks Uzoka 0-0
0-0 0; Isac Ahnstrand 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 32-58 22-34 97.
FRANCIS MARION (3-8,1-2)
Marlow Gilmore Jr. 10-11 6-7 26; Tionne Rollins 8-17 2-2 19; Bryce Beamer
5-12 4-5 16; Farid SaintCyr Jr. 6-15 0-1 14; Horaces Jacques Jr. 5-12 1-2
12; Willie Patterson III 0-1 0-0 0; Adonis Cole 0-1 0-0 0; Chandler O'Bannon
0-0 0-0 0; Niko Noumeros 0-0 0-0 0; Ibrahim Wattara 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-69
13-17 87.
Converse......................   39   58  -   97
Francis Marion..............   40   47  -   87
3-point goals--Converse 11-24 (Edo Buffo 4-7; C.J. Jamison 3-7; Kervens
Yacinthe 2-2; Uzziah Dawkins 1-2; Joel  Pullen 1-3; Isac Ahnstrand 0-1; Jay
Mitchell 0-2), Francis Marion 6-26 (Bryce Beamer 2-6; Farid SaintCyr Jr.
2-8; Horaces Jacques Jr. 1-6; Tionne Rollins 1-6). Fouled
out--Converse-None, Francis Marion-Farid SaintCyr Jr.. Rebounds--Converse 31
(C.J. Jamison 9), Francis Marion 36 (Bryce Beamer 10). Assists--Converse 20
(Joel  Pullen 5), Francis Marion 20 (Bryce Beamer 4; Tionne Rollins 4; Farid
SaintCyr Jr. 4). Total fouls--Converse 16, Francis Marion 20. Technical fouls--None. A-557