PEMBROKE, NC – UNC Pembroke erased a seven-point deficit with a game-closing 17-5 run to edge Francis Marion University 54-49, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 17) in Conference Carolinas women's basketball play.
 
Francis Marion drops to 17-7 overall and 12-3 in conference action.  The Patriots will play at Barton College on Wednesday at 5 p.m. 
 
Junior forward Kiana Lee paced Francis Marion with 16 points, while senior point guard Aniyah Oliver scored 12 and sophomore forward Trinity Adams 10.  Senior center Lauryn Taylor registered seven points and 11 rebounds.
 
Kayla Hall led UNCP with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Zaria Clark had 12 points.  The Braves take a half-game lead over the Patriots in the battle for the East Division title.
 
Lee scored the game's opening five points, and the Patriots eventually led 7-1 and later 9-3.  UNCP responded with a 10-0 run to take a 13-9 advantage.  After Francis Marion tied the contest at 13-13, Clark hit a jumper to end the first quarter.
 
The UNCP lead grew to 17-13 before FMU rallied to knot the score at 19-19 on a three-pointer by Oliver.  The Braves scored four straight, but Francis Marion answered with seven consecutive points to assume a 26-23 margin.  A pair of free throws by Adams gave FMU a 30-25 lead before Hall ended the first half scoring with a lay-in.
 
In the third period, Francis Marion broke a 33-33 deadlock with a 7-0 spurt that included a Taylor jumper, a lay-up by Jada Richards, and another three-pointer by Oliver.
 
In the fourth quarter, the Patriots still led by seven, 44-37 with 7:28 remaining.  The Braves scored the game's next 10 points to re-take the lead and start their game-ending run.  The Patriots did have a chance to tie the score with 14 seconds remaining, but Lee hit only one of three free throw shots after being fouled on a three-point attempt.
 
Francis Marion shot 34.0 percent from the floor and was 8-of-11 at the foul line, while UNCP hit 35.4 percent from the field and 18-of-22 at the stripe.  FMU outrebounded the Braves 44-25.
 
 
02/17/24 2:00 pm at Pembroke, NC
UNC PEMBROKE 54, FRANCIS MARION 49
FRANCIS MARION (17-7, 12-3)
Kiana Lee 6-13 1-3 16; Aniyah Oliver 5-15 0-0 12; Trinity Adams 3-9 4-4 10;
Lauryn Taylor 3-10 1-2 7; Trinity Delaney 0-0 2-2 2; Jada Richards 1-4 0-0
2; MacKenzie Feagin 0-0 0-0 0; MiLeia Owens 0-2 0-0 0; Sydney Turner 0-0 0-0
0; Nevaeh Farmer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-53 8-11 49.
UNC PEMBROKE (19-6, 13-2)
Kalaya Hall 5-14 7-8 18; Zaria Clark 4-13 4-4 12; Courtney Smith 2-5 4-4 8;
Lillian Flantos 2-5 2-4 7; Aniah McManus 3-3 1-2 7; Malea Garrison 1-1 0-0
2; Hannah Russell 0-2 0-0 0; Alcenia Purnell 0-3 0-0 0; Kelci Adams 0-2 0-0
0. Totals 17-48 18-22 54.
Francis Marion................   13   17   10    9  -   49
UNC Pembroke...............   15   12    6   21  -   54
3-point goals--Francis Marion 5-25 (Kiana Lee 3-7; Aniyah Oliver 2-9; Lauryn
Taylor 0-1; Jada Richards 0-3; MiLeia Owens 0-2; Trinity Adams 0-3), UNC
Pembroke 2-15 (Kalaya Hall 1-6; Lillian Flantos 1-2; Courtney Smith 0-3;
Alcenia Purnell 0-2; Kelci Adams 0-2). Fouled out--Francis Marion-None, UNC
Pembroke-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 44 (Lauryn Taylor 11), UNC Pembroke
25 (Kalaya Hall 7). Assists--Francis Marion 9 (Kiana Lee 3), UNC Pembroke 11
(Aniah McManus 2; Lillian Flantos 2; Kelci Adams 2; Zaria Clark 2). Total
fouls--Francis Marion 19, UNC Pembroke 16. Technical fouls--None. A-1682