FLORENCE, SC - A trio of Patriots scored in double-figures as Francis Marion University led wire-to-wire and defeated the University of Mount Olive 70-54, Tuesday evening (Nov. 25) in Conference Carolinas women's basketball action.
In the triumph, the Patriots advance their overall record to 4-1, and are 2-0 in conference play, while the Trojans drop to 2-2 and 0-1. Francis Marion will be back in action on December 2 to face Anderson University at home with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m.
Sophomore guard
Kiara Croskey posted her second double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while adding five assists and four steals. Junior forward
Jasmine Grant's added a career-high 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting with a career-high eight boards and five blocks, while freshman forward
Mariana Moody tallied 10 points and seven rebounds.
FMU dominated the first quarter from start to finish, with Croskey igniting a 7-0 spark to open the game. Contributions from sophomore guard
Terriana Gray, who finished with nine points, and Grant helped extend Francis Marion's lead to 9-2. Moody then scored back-to-back fast-break layups before junior guard
MacKenzie Feagin knocked down a jumper to go up17-6. The Patriots closed the quarter with a three-pointer from sophomore guard
Angel Walker to make it 20-8.
Francis Marion opened the second period with force thanks to Walker, Moody, and senior forward
Bentlee Chockley, creating an 8-2 run fueled by second-chance points. FMU continued to swarm defensively, forcing a string of UMO turnovers and three blocks from Grant.
The Patriots closed the quarter with a commanding 35-15 halftime lead.
Although Mount Olive started the third with tempo, Francis Marion retaliated with a 7-2 burst to lead 42-21. UMO attempted to halt FMU's momentum with consecutive three-points, and eventually closed to within 45-34 with 3:06 on the clock. However, the Patriots responded with an 8-0 spurt to push the margin to 19 points with buckets from Croskey, Grant, and senior guard
Tyra Myers. Francis Marion carried a 53-37 lead into the fourth.
In the final quarter, Croskey and Grant rallied the troops before Chockley and Gray added baskets to stretch the margin to 65-39.
Francis Marion has now defeated the Trojans in each of the past eight meetings.
