WILSON, NC – Senior forward Marlow Gilmore Jr. paced Francis Marion University with a game-high 20 points and 11 rebounds, but two last-second shots did not fall and the Patriots lost 73-72 to Barton College on Wednesday (Feb. 21) night in men's basketball play.
 
The Patriots (12-12, 10-6) are back in action on Saturday (Feb. 24) with a 4 p.m. tip-off against King University as part of Homecoming 2024.  Admission is free.
 
Gilmore registered his 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the floor.  Junior guard Farid SaintCyr Jr. came off the FMU bench to tally 16 points, while sophomore guard Adonis Cole registered his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
 
FMU freshman guard Horaces Jacques Jr. added nine points and team-high eight assists.
 
Sean Quick-Streeter (17) and Reese McDonald (15) of Barton combined for a total of 32 to lead the Bulldogs (12-14, 9-7).
 
Francis Marion took an early lead as Jacques Jr. and Tionne Rollins both put away a three-pointer for an 8-5 lead. With a three-point play by Cole, the margin widened to 11-7.
 
The Bulldogs took the lead over at 23-21 as McDonald made a jumper from just inside the wing. SaintCyr Jr. layed in another basket to cut down the lead to one point, 26-25.
 
Francis Marion trimmed the lead to just two points at 33-31 entering halftime.
 
Opening the second half, Gilmore Jr. knotted the game at 33-33 with a lay-up. The Bulldogs then went on an eight-point spurt, advancing their lead to 41-33. Barton took its biggest lead of the night of 13 points at a score of 54-41.
 
Trailing 60-49 with 8:36 left, Francis Marion scored six straight points to pull within 60-55.  A pair of free throws from SaintCyr Jr. brought the Patriots back within 65-63 with 5:16 on the clock.
 
The Bulldogs led 73-68 with three minutes remaining and did not score again.  A pair of inside buckets by Gilmore Jr. cut the deficit to 72-73 with a minute remaining.  On the second hoop, he was fouled, but could not convert the three-point play to knot the score.
 
After a successful stop at the defensive end, the Patriots had one last possession.  SaintCyr Jr. missed a desperation three-point attempt as the shot clock was expiring, and after an offensive rebound, his lay-up was blocked with 1.1 ticks left.  An ally-oop attempt on the in-bounds play went awry and the horn sounded.
 
 
02/21/24 7:00 pm at Wilson, NC
BARTON 73, FRANCIS MARION 72
FRANCIS MARION (12-12, 10-6)
Marlow Gilmore Jr. 9-11 2-3 20; Farid SaintCyr Jr. 4-13 6-8 16; Adonis Cole
4-6 1-1 10; Horaces Jacques Jr. 4-11 0-2 9; Ibrahim Wattara 3-4 0-0 6; Bryce
Beamer 3-14 0-0 6; Tionne Rollins 1-3 0-0 3; Chandler O'Bannon 1-2 0-0 2;
Willie Patterson III 0-1 0-0 0; Matthew Lee 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-65 9-14 72.
BARTON (12-14, 9-7)
Sean Quick-Streeter 5-6 2-5 17; Reese McDonald 4-8 7-8 15; Jett Fortuny 3-5
2-2 11; Trevon Spencer 3-15 1-2 8; Donaven Hairston 3-12 1-2 8; Marko
Krtinic 2-4 2-2 6; Trey Crews 0-6 4-6 4; Shawn Nelson 1-1 0-0 2; Jarrian
Hancock 1-1 0-0 2; Will Asken 0-2 0-0 0; Tre Morgan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-60
19-27 73.
Francis Marion...........   31   41  -   72
Barton........................   33   40  -   73
3-point goals--Francis Marion 5-22 (Farid SaintCyr Jr. 2-8; Horaces Jacques
Jr. 1-5; Tionne Rollins 1-2; Adonis Cole 1-1; Bryce Beamer 0-5; Marlow
Gilmore Jr. 0-1), Barton 10-25 (Sean Quick-Streeter 5-5; Jett Fortuny 3-5;
Trevon Spencer 1-4; Donaven Hairston 1-7; Trey Crews 0-2; Reese McDonald
0-2). Fouled out--Francis Marion-None, Barton-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion
47 (Marlow Gilmore Jr. 11; Adonis Cole 11), Barton 34 (Trevon Spencer 10).
Assists--Francis Marion 19 (Horaces Jacques Jr. 8), Barton 18 (Reese
McDonald 6). Total fouls--Francis Marion 17, Barton 15. Technical
fouls--None. A-400