BRISTOL, TN – Sophomore swing player Trinity Adams scored a career-high 24 points and keyed runs to start both halves as Francis Marion University cruised an 85-56 road win over King University (Tenn.), Saturday afternoon (Jan. 6) in Conference Carolinas women's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion improves to 8-5 overall and 4-1 in conference play with its sixth win in the last seven outings.  FMU returns home for its first home contest of the New Year on Tuesday as the Patriots entertain Barton College at 5:30 p.m.
 
Adams posted her career high on 11-of-13 shooting, and she also hauled down eight rebounds.  Senior Lauryn Taylor registered her ninth double-double of the year with 19 points and 14 rebounds.  In the process, she upped her career point total to 1,393 and passed Jennifer Brabson for 14th place on the Patriot career rebounding list with 764.
 
FMU junior guard Jada Richards chipped in 11 points and junior forward Kiana Lee 10 as 11 of 13 Patriots scored in the contest.
 
Alexa Gramann and Alayna Smith paced King (1-14, 0-5) with eight points apiece.
 
Taylor and Adams both scored on layups to open the game and Francis Marion would never trail.  Adams tallied 10 of her points quickly as FMU raced to a 17-2 lead only 4:21 into the game.  The margin swelled to 26-7 after a three-point play by Taylor, and the Patriots would hold a 27-11 advantage at the end of the opening period.
 
Francis Marion led 43-26 at halftime.  Both Adams and Richards contributed seven points apiece to a 16-2 spurt to open the second half that resulted in a 31-point lead (59-58).
 
The largest leads of the game came at 70-34 after a pair of free throws by Taylor with 1:27 left in the third period, and later at 81-45 following two free throws by freshman guard Nevaeh Farmer with 3:18 remaining in the fourth quarter.
 
Francis Marion shot 47.8 percent for the game and was 14-oif-22 at the charity stripe.  The Patriots held the Tornado to 30.4 percent shooting, including 4-of-16 from three-point range, and King was 10-of-20 at the free throw line.
 
FMU held a commanding 56-34 rebounding advantage and led 46-26 in points in the paint.
 
 
01/06/24 2:00 pm at Bristol, TN
FRANCIS MARION 85, KING (TN) 56
FRANCIS MARION (8-5, 4-1)
Trinity Adams 11-13 1-3 24; Lauryn Taylor 6-12 5-6 19; Jada Richards 5-8 0-1
11; Kiana Lee 4-10 2-2 10; Aniyah Oliver 2-3 2-2 6; Sommer Joseph 2-6 0-2 4;
MacKenzie Feagin 1-5 0-0 3; Trinity Delaney 0-1 2-4 2; Sydney Turner 1-4 0-0
2; Nevaeh Farmer 0-5 2-2 2; KiMyah Foggie 1-1 0-0 2; Lauren Brokken 0-1 0-0
0; MiLeia Owens 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-69 14-22 85.
KING (TN) (1-14, 0-5)
Alexa Gramann 4-7 0-2 8; Alayna Smith 2-3 4-6 8; Ashley Allen 3-5 0-0 6;
Brianna Dunbar 2-7 1-4 5; Le'Aije Ellington 2-6 0-0 5; Kiley Beach 2-6 0-0
4; Torey Walker 2-5 0-0 4; Jaden Potts 1-1 0-0 3; Jaelyn West 1-6 1-2 3;
Raven Addison 1-8 0-0 3; Morgan Bone 1-6 0-0 3; Ashley Phillip 0-1 2-2 2;
Jaylasia Office 0-3 1-2 1; Jakae Jones 0-4 1-2 1; Jhayda McKinney 0-1 0-0 0;
Michelle Gallegos 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-69 10-20 56.
Francis Marion.............   27   16   27   15  -   85
King (TN).....................   11   15   13   17  -   56
3-point goals--Francis Marion 5-14 (Lauryn Taylor 2-3; MacKenzie Feagin 1-5;
Trinity Adams 1-1; Jada Richards 1-2; Sydney Turner 0-1; Aniyah Oliver 0-1;
Kiana Lee 0-1), King (TN) 4-16 (Raven Addison 1-4; Le'Aije Ellington 1-4;
Jaden Potts 1-1; Morgan Bone 1-3; Jaelyn West 0-2; Brianna Dunbar 0-2).
Fouled out--Francis Marion-None, King (TN)-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 56
(Lauryn Taylor 14), King (TN) 34 (Kiley Beach 4; Raven Addison 4; Alexa
Gramann 4). Assists--Francis Marion 13 (Aniyah Oliver 4), King (TN) 13
(Kiley Beach 2; Alexa Gramann 2; Jaelyn West 2; Raven Addison 2; Le'Aije
Ellington 2). Total fouls--Francis Marion 17, King (TN) 17. Technical
fouls--None. A-112