FLORENCE, SC – Junior forward Kiana Lee scored 11 points in a three-minute span to key a third-quarter outburst as Francis Marion University rallied from a two-point halftime deficit to defeat Chowan University 89-73, Tuesday evening (Jan. 30) in Conference Carolinas women's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion (14-5, 9-1) wins for the eighth consecutive time and the 12th time in the last 13 outings.  The Patriots will play host to Southern Wesleyan University on Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
Senior Lauren Taylor led FMU with 22 points and 19 rebounds as the Blythewood native connected on 9-of-17 field goal attempts.  She continues to lead NCAA Division II in rebounds per contest, now at 13.4 rpg.
 
FMU senior point guard Aniyah Oliver scored a season-high 17 points, 11 of which came after halftime, and nailed 5-of-8 attempts from behind the three-point arc.  Sophomore Trinity Adams also tallied 17 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Lee finished with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
 
Junior guard Jada Richards, the fifth FMU starter, registered nine points, a career-high equaling six rebounds, and a career-high seven assists.
 
Senior 6-3 center Meara Carter came off the Chowan bench to lead the Hawks (8-7, 8-3) with 12 points and six rebounds.
 
The two teams were never separated by more than one possession during the first quarter which ended with the Hawks holding a 19-18 advantage.  Adams scored eight of her points in the opening 10 minutes.
 
The second period was more of the same for the first seven minutes.  A three-pointer by Oliver and two free throws by freshman guard Nevaeh Farmer stretch an FMU lead to 37-31, but Chowan scored the final eight points of the half to storm off the court leading 39-37.
 
Lee's outburst came at the start of the third period and allowed FMU to take the lead for good and open a 50-43 margin.  The lead later ballooned to 61-47 after senior guard MiLeia Owens drained a pair of charity tosses with 2:55 left in the quarter.  The Patriots would hold a 67-54 advantage as the period ended.  Francis Marion connected on 10-of-16 shots from the floor and was 8-of-8 at the foul line during the 30-point third-quarter barrage.
 
The margin never got closer than 13 over the final 10 minutes.  FMU's largest lead came at 89-68 following a late three-point jumper by Taylor.
 
For the game, Francis Marion shot 55.0 percent from the floor, including 8-of-18 from behind the arc, and was 15-of-20 at the free throw stripe.  Chowan was held to 42.0 percent shooting and made 11-of-15 free throw attempts.
 
FMU held a commanding 44-25 rebounding advantage, as the Patriots avenged a six-point loss to the Hawks back in December.

 
 
01/30/24 5:30 pm at Florence, SC
FRANCIS MARION 89, CHOWAN 73
CHOWAN (8-7, 8-3)
Meara Carter 6-14 0-0 12; Sydney Roberts 4-9 2-2 11; Imani Hickman 4-12 2-2
11; Tynasia Bunting 4-9 2-2 11; Desiree Askew 5-10 0-3 10; Kaleah Boykin 3-7
3-4 9; Danea Mackey 2-3 0-0 5; Yasmine Brown 1-5 2-2 4; Daneesha Briggs 0-0
0-0 0. Totals 29-69 11-15 73.
FRANCIS MARION (14-5, 9-1)
Lauryn Taylor 9-17 3-4 22; Aniyah Oliver 6-11 0-0 17; Trinity Adams 8-11 1-4
17; Kiana Lee 6-7 3-4 16; Jada Richards 3-8 2-2 9; Trinity Delaney 1-2 2-2
4; MiLeia Owens 0-3 2-2 2; Nevaeh Farmer 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 33-60 15-20 89.
Chowan........................   19   20   15   19  -   73
Francis Marion..............   18   19   30   22  -   89
3-point goals--Chowan 4-10 (Imani Hickman 1-3; Sydney Roberts 1-2; Tynasia
Bunting 1-3; Danea Mackey 1-1; Yasmine Brown 0-1), Francis Marion 8-18
(Aniyah Oliver 5-8; Kiana Lee 1-2; Lauryn Taylor 1-3; Jada Richards 1-3;
Trinity Adams 0-2). Fouled out--Chowan-Yasmine Brown, Francis Marion-None.
Rebounds--Chowan 25 (Meara Carter 6), Francis Marion 44 (Lauryn Taylor 19).
Assists--Chowan 20 (Danea Mackey 4; Meara Carter 4), Francis Marion 23 (Jada
Richards 7). Total fouls--Chowan 22, Francis Marion 16. Technical
fouls--None. A-511