FRANKLIN SPRINGS, GA – A cold-shooting Francis Marion University squad was outscored 14-5 over the final 5:50 and the Patriots had their 10-game winning streak snapped in a 73-66 road loss to Emmanuel University (Ga.), Saturday afternoon (Feb. 10) in Conference Carolinas women's basketball play.
 
Francis Marion drops to 16-6 overall and 11-2 in conference play and will host North Greenville University on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.  That game was originally scheduled for earlier this season, but postponed because of health concerns within the Crusader program.
 
Senior Lauryn Taylor led FMU with 15 points and 19 rebounds, her Division II leading 17th double-double of the year.  Taylor surpassed 900 career rebounds during the game and moved by Briana Burgins for eighth place on the Patriot career rebounding list with 904.
 
Junior Kiana Lee scored 13 points, while sophomore Trinity Adams tallied 10 points, eight rebounds, and four steals, while junior guard Jada Richards chipped in 10 points.
 
Abbey Crawford led Emmanuel (14-7, 10-3) with 22 points, while Sydney Wyatt scored 20 points.
 
The Patriots managed only 28.9 percent shooting from the floor, including miss their first 18 three-point attempts.  Emmanuel finished the game shooting 43.5 percent from the floor.
 
The Lions scored the first five points of the contest and quickly opened a 15-5 advantage, and later a 17-6 margin.  FMU rallied to trim the deficit to 21-15 at the end of the first quarter.
 
An offensive stick-back bucket by freshman center Trinity Delaney got FMU to within 24-21 with 6:01 left before halftime.  The Lions responded with a 9-4 spurt to open a 33-25 lead, before Francis Marion scored the half's final six points – four by Adams – to draw within 33-31 at intermission.
 
A jumper by Richards to open the third period tied the score at 33-33.  Emmanuel registered the next five points, and would lead 46-40, before the Patriots rallied to again tie the score, this time at 49-49 on a fast-break lay-in by freshman Sydney Turner.  A pair of free throws by Wyatt gave the Lions a 51-49 lead heading to the final quarter.
 
In the fourth, Patriot senior point guard Aniyah Oliver drained a three-pointer to give FMU its first lead at 52-51.  The lead see-sawed back and forth until Taylor scored on a stick-back with 5:52 remaining to put the Patriots on top 61-59.
 
FMU was held scoreless for the next five minutes and managed only one more field goal in the contest.
 
 
02/10/24 2:00 pm at Franklin Springs, GA
EMMANUEL (GA) 73, FRANCIS MARION 66
FRANCIS MARION (16-6, 11-2)
Lauryn Taylor 6-21 3-7 15; Kiana Lee 5-17 2-2 13; Trinity Adams 3-11 4-6 10;
Jada Richards 4-9 0-0 10; Aniyah Oliver 3-18 2-3 9; Sydney Turner 2-3 0-0 4;
Trinity Delaney 1-3 2-2 4; MiLeia Owens 0-0 1-2 1; MacKenzie Feagin 0-1 0-0
0; Nevaeh Farmer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-83 14-22 66.
EMMANUEL (GA) (14-7, 10-3)
Abby Crawford 8-22 4-5 22; Sydney Wyatt 6-12 5-7 20; Makenzie Caldwell 5-7
2-3 12; Ade'Jah James 4-6 1-2 9; Maddie Futch 2-4 0-0 5; Addie Penick 1-4
0-0 3; Tyasia Freeman 1-3 0-0 2; Kamryn Grier 0-0 0-0 0; Emma Easterwood 0-1
0-0 0; Kristina Peach 0-3 0-0 0; Naomi Roberts 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-62 12-17
73.
Francis Marion................   15   16   18   17  -   66
Emmanuel (GA)...............   21   12   18   22  -   73
3-point goals--Francis Marion 4-30 (Jada Richards 2-4; Kiana Lee 1-5; Aniyah
Oliver 1-11; MacKenzie Feagin 0-1; Trinity Adams 0-5; Lauryn Taylor 0-4),
Emmanuel (GA) 7-18 (Sydney Wyatt 3-5; Abby Crawford 2-7; Addie Penick 1-3;
Maddie Futch 1-1; Kristina Peach 0-1; Makenzie Caldwell 0-1). Fouled
out--Francis Marion-Trinity Adams, Emmanuel (GA)-None. Rebounds--Francis
Marion 53 (Lauryn Taylor 19), Emmanuel (GA) 43 (Sydney Wyatt 9; Addie Penick
9; Ade'Jah James 9). Assists--Francis Marion 8 (Aniyah Oliver 4), Emmanuel
(GA) 15 (Addie Penick 4). Total fouls--Francis Marion 20, Emmanuel (GA) 18.
Technical fouls--None. A-55