TIGERVILLE, SC – Four Patriots finished with double-figure points to guide Francis Marion University to a 73-48 road victory over North Greenville University, Tuesday night (Feb. 7) in Conference Carolinas women's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion (16-6, 14-2), seventh in the latest D2SIDA Southeast Region rankings, extends its winning streak to 14, now the fifth-longest streak in program history, and the longest since a 15-game streak in 2009. The Patriots move into a tie for second place and are now only one game out of first place in the conference standings.
 
FMU returns to its domain at the Walter D. Smith University Center hosting Emmanuel College on Saturday (Feb. 11) at 2 p.m.
 
The two-time reigning conference Player of the Week, FMU junior center Lauryn Taylor, secured her eighth double-double this season with 25 points and 10 rebounds.  The Blythewood, S.C., native moved past Creshenda Singletary and into 29th place on the Patriot career scoring list with 1,059 points.
 
FMU senior forward Jasmine Stanley scored 15 points and pulled in nine rebounds, while sophomore guard Kiana Lee ended with 15 points and six rebounds, and freshmen Trinity Adams posted 12 points and five rebounds.
 
FMU was perfect at the charity stripe hitting 14-of-14, the second-most free throw makes without a miss in program history. The Patriots shot 40.3 percent from the floor, while the Crusaders were held to 37.5 percent from the floor, including 3-of-16 from behind the three-point arc, and only 3-of-5 free throws.
 
Junior guard Jayda Glass scored 17 points for North Greenville (5-16, 5-10). 
 
The Crusaders opened the first quarter with a 7-2 lead over the Patriots and did not lose that until a 6-0 run featuring Stanley's go-ahead layup at 8-7 with 3:37 on the clock. NGU would hop back in front after a jump shot from Glass at 9-8, but two free throws from Taylor secured the lead for the rest of the quarter as well as the contest. FMU would also go on an 11-0 run to lead 19-9 heading into the second quarter.


NGU's Glass cut the Francis Marion lead down to seven points after a three-pointer at 19-12 with 9:19 on the clock. However, that basket kick started the Patriot's best scoring run of the night scoring, 14-0, to lead 33-12 with 4:45 remaining in the half.
 
NGU managed to cut the deficit to 17 before the half, but FMU carried the lead into the locker room ahead 40-23. Taylor scored 14 points and hauled in six rebounds in the first half, while Lee and Adams both contributed with eight points.
 
The Patriots would hold the Crusaders to 4-of-18 from the floor, scoring a game-low eight points in the third quarter. Lee would also knock down a floater to give FMU its largest lead of 30 at 53-23 in the third. Stanley and Taylor would both score 11 points in the second half to propel the Patriots to the victory.
 
FMU held a 16-5 rebounding margin on the offensive glass, and a resulting 17-4 edge in second-chance points.
 
 
02/07/23 5:00 pm at Tigerville, SC
FRANCIS MARION 73, NORTH GREENVILLE 48
FRANCIS MARION (16-6, 14-2)
Lauryn Taylor 9-15 3-3 25; Kiana Lee 7-11 0-0 15; Jasmine Stanley 6-10 3-3
15; Trinity Adams 5-9 2-2 12; Scarlett Gilmore 0-6 4-4 4; Aniyah Oliver 0-4
2-2 2; Janiyah Hagood 0-2 0-0 0; Jada Richards 0-7 0-0 0; MiLeia Owens 0-0
0-0 0; Alexis Sexton 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 27-67 14-14 73.
NORTH GREENVILLE (5-16, 5-10)
Jayda Glass 8-24 0-1 17; Abi Oates 3-6 0-0 7; Amareya Turner 3-7 0-0 6;
Maliyah Lockett 2-7 0-0 4; Tabitha Littlefield 1-3 2-2 4; Angie Rodriguez
2-5 0-0 4; Kennedi McLean 1-2 1-2 3; Abbie Bishop 1-2 0-0 3; Kelby Lyles 0-0
0-0 0; Hannah Wiles 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-56 3-5 48.
Francis Marion................   19   21   18   15  -   73
North Greenville..............    9   14    8   17  -   48
3-point goals--Francis Marion 5-24 (Lauryn Taylor 4-8; Kiana Lee 1-3;
Trinity Adams 0-1; Scarlett Gilmore 0-5; Aniyah Oliver 0-3; Jada Richards
0-3; Alexis Sexton 0-1), North Greenville 3-16 (Abbie Bishop 1-2; Abi Oates
1-3; Jayda Glass 1-9; Tabitha Littlefield 0-1; Maliyah Lockett 0-1). Fouled
out--Francis Marion-None, North Greenville-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 47
(Lauryn Taylor 10), North Greenville 27 (Amareya Turner 7). Assists--Francis
Marion 17 (Aniyah Oliver 6), North Greenville 7 (Abi Oates 2; Maliyah
Lockett 2). Total fouls--Francis Marion 7, North Greenville 16. Technical
fouls--None. A-172