MURFREESBORO, NC – Senior guard Tionne Rollins paced the Patriots with 20 points in Francis Marion University's 84-78 road victory over Chowan University on Saturday (Dec. 2), additionally he surpassed 1,000 career points.
 
The Patriots win their Conference Carolinas opener and improve to 3-5 overall.  FMU will return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 13, against Young Harris College. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. in Young Harris, Ga.
 
Rollins' point total on Saturday accumulated while shooting 8-of-12 from the field. He now possesses 1,009 career points after three seasons at Francis Marion and one season at Division I Purdue University Fort Wayne. Rollins also picked up three steals during the game.
 
Following Rollins were senior forwards Bryce Beamer and Marlow Gilmore Jr., who both scored 16 points. Beamer also registered another double-double with 10 rebounds and went a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Gilmore Jr. went 5-of-9 from the field and led FMU with five assists.
 
The Patriots outshot the Hawks 45.5 percent to 34.3 percent from floor, while Chowan shot 81.5 percent from the free throw line compared to FMU's 70 percent.   However, Francis Marion tightened the screws on the defensive end by holding Chowan to 11-of-38 shooting in the second half.
 
Daylan Askew led the Hawks (4-4, 0-1) with 24 points, shooting 7-of-15 from the field.
 
Rollins opened the first half with a three-pointer and quickly followed up with another bucket to get an early lead. FMU and Chowan played point for point early on, with the Hawks answering every point scored by the Patriots. With a 10-1 run, Francis Marion extended its lead to 25-14. Francis Marion held the lead for the remainder of the first half, leading by a margin of 15 (46-31) after a pair of made free throws by Beamer capped a 10-0 spurt.  FMU led 46-37 at halftime.
 
Entering the second half, Askew was the first to score between both teams and brought the Hawks within six points. Chowan closed the gap and reclaimed the lead at 52-51 after free throws from Aaron Ross eight minutes into the second half.
 
Francis Marion regained the lead for good at 55-54 on a lay-in by freshman forward Willie Patterson III.  The Patriots kept their composure and took a 12-point lead at 71-59 after a steal and lay-up by Rollins with 4:38 remaining. The Hawks quickly trimmed the margin to 71-67 with two minutes left, but Gilmore Jr. ignited a 7-0 run with a three-point play on the ensuing possession.
 
FMU dominated inside, leading the Hawks 52-22 in points-in-the-paint.
 
 
12/02/23 4:00 pm at Murfreesboro, NC
FRANCIS MARION 84, CHOWAN 78
FRANCIS MARION (3-5,1-0)
Tionne Rollins 8-12 2-4 20; Bryce Beamer 5-18 6-6 16; Marlow Gilmore Jr. 5-9
6-9 16; Farid SaintCyr Jr. 3-4 3-5 9; Niko Noumeros 2-2 4-6 8; Ibrahim
Wattara 3-13 0-0 6; Horaces Jacques Jr. 2-5 0-0 5; Chandler O'Bannon 1-1 0-0
2; Willie Patterson III 1-1 0-0 2; Adonis Cole 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-66 21-30
84.
CHOWAN (4-4,0-1)
Daylan Askew 7-15 5-6 24; Preston Le Gassick 5-14 1-2 14; Aaron Ross 3-9 7-8
14; Cheick Traore 1-1 6-6 8; Skyler Davies 4-10 0-0 8; RJ Wilson 2-9 2-2 6;
Paul Whitby 1-5 1-2 4; Dillon Harrison 0-2 0-0 0; Keith Reese Jr. 0-0 0-0 0;
Eric Gordon Jr. 0-2 0-1 0. Totals 23-67 22-27 78.
Francis Marion..............   46   38  -   84
Chowan........................   37   41  -   78
3-point goals--Francis Marion 3-15 (Tionne Rollins 2-4; Horaces Jacques Jr.
1-2; Farid SaintCyr Jr. 0-1; Ibrahim Wattara 0-1; Adonis Cole 0-1; Bryce
Beamer 0-6), Chowan 10-35 (Daylan Askew 5-8; Preston Le Gassick 3-8; Paul
Whitby 1-2; Aaron Ross 1-7; Dillon Harrison 0-2; Eric Gordon Jr. 0-1; RJ
Wilson 0-4; Skyler Davies 0-3). Fouled out--Francis Marion-Niko Noumeros,
Chowan-Skyler Davies. Rebounds--Francis Marion 42 (Bryce Beamer 10), Chowan
45 (RJ Wilson 12). Assists--Francis Marion 10 (Marlow Gilmore Jr. 5), Chowan
10 (Daylan Askew 4). Total fouls--FMU 20, Chowan 20. Technical fouls--None. A-763