FLORENCE, SC – Junior forward Ibrahim Wattara came off the bench to score a career-high 20 points and Francis Marion University survived a last-second potential game-tying lay-up (missed) to gain a 93-91 defeat of Barton College, Wednesday night (Jan. 10) in men's basketball action.
 
FMU will face off against Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C., on Saturday (Jan. 13) with a 4 p.m. tip-off. After its third straight win, Francis Marion advances its overall record to 6-8, while moving to 4-2 in Conference Carolinas' league action.
 
FMU freshman guard Horaces Jacques Jr. picked up 16 points, shooting 7-of-16 from the field. Not only did Jacques Jr. tally another double-digit scoring night, but led FMU in assists with seven.
 
Senior forward Bryce Beamer also registered 16 points, while senior guard Tionne Rollins scored 14 points and senior forward Marlow Gilmore Jr. posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Pacing the Bulldogs with 27 points was senior guard Donaven Hairston, shooting 9-17 from the field.
 
Francis Marion also picked up a total of 50 points in the paint in comparison to the Bulldogs' 34. Although both teams committed 19 turnovers, the Patriots led 25-10 in points-off-turnovers.
 
Barton (6-9, 3-2) held an edge over Francis Marion in three-point percentage and free throws, FMU took over in field goal percentage with an even 50 percent compared to Barton's 49.3 percent.
 
Opening the first half, Barton jumped to an early 19-10 lead. A quick nine-point spurt from the Patriots knotted the game at 19-19. A pair of buckets from Gilmore Jr. and Beamer continued to increase the distance between the Bulldogs and Patriots, with the score being 35-29 in the home team's favor late in the first half.
 
However, a 17-6 run by the Bulldogs put Francis Marion down by eight points (51-43) entering halftime.
 
Coming into the second half, FMU closed the 10-point margin and were within one three-pointer of reclaiming the lead. Later tied at 65-65, the Patriots went ahead for good after a strong layup from Gilmore Jr.  FMU took its largest lead of eight points (88-80) with 3:46 minutes left in the second half after junior guard Farid SaintCyr Jr. drained a three-pointer.
 
Barton closed to within 92-91 after a long jumper – ruled a two-point attempt – by Reese McDonald with 31.3 seconds left.  A free throw by Wattara pushed the margin to 93-91, but a last-second lay-up attempt by McDonald rolled off the rim as the horn sounded.

        
 
01/10/24 7:30 pm at Florence, SC
FRANCIS MARION 93, BARTON 91
BARTON (6-9,3-2)
Donaven Hairston 9-17 8-14 27; Jett Fortuny 5-7 3-3 18; Trevon Spencer 8-18
0-1 17; Reese McDonald 4-9 2-2 10; Trey Crews 2-5 0-1 6; Shawn Nelson 1-1
3-3 5; Marko Krtinic 1-2 0-0 2; Jarrian Hancock 1-2 0-0 2; Sean
Quick-Streeter 1-3 0-0 2; Javontae Jones 1-2 0-0 2; Will Asken 0-1 0-0 0;
Tre Morgan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-67 16-24 91.
FRANCIS MARION (6-8,4-2)
Ibrahim Wattara 8-11 3-5 20; Horaces Jacques Jr. 7-16 2-3 16; Bryce Beamer
5-13 5-9 16; Tionne Rollins 4-6 4-4 14; Marlow Gilmore Jr. 4-7 2-4 10;
Adonis Cole 2-3 4-5 8; Farid SaintCyr Jr. 2-8 2-4 7; Willie Patterson III
1-2 0-0 2. Totals 33-66 22-34 93.
Barton........................   51   40  -   91
Francis Marion...........   43   50  -   93
3-point goals--Barton 9-25 (Jett Fortuny 5-6; Trey Crews 2-4; Trevon Spencer
1-7; Donaven Hairston 1-5; Will Asken 0-1; Marko Krtinic 0-1; Reese McDonald
0-1), Francis Marion 5-19 (Tionne Rollins 2-4; Farid SaintCyr Jr. 1-6;
Ibrahim Wattara 1-1; Bryce Beamer 1-3; Willie Patterson III 0-1; Horaces
Jacques Jr. 0-4). Fouled out--Barton-None, Francis Marion-Tionne Rollins.
Rebounds--Barton 33 (Trevon Spencer 8), Francis Marion 40 (Marlow Gilmore
Jr. 11). Assists--Barton 19 (Reese McDonald 7), Francis Marion 23 (Horaces
Jacques Jr. 7). Total fouls--Barton 21, Francis Marion 21. Technical
fouls--Francis Marion-Marlow Gilmore Jr.. A-691