WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Despite a double-double by freshman center Mariana Moody and 21 points from sophomore point guard Kiara Croskey, Francis Marion University dropped a 63-53 road decision to Winston-Salem State University, Thursday evening (Dec. 11) in non-conference women's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion (5-3) plays the third of four straight road games on Tuesday at 1 p.m. with a Conference Carolinas match-up at Chowan University.
 
Moody, a product of Spring Valley High School, scored 11 points and pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds.  Croskey added five steals to her point total.
 
Ah'Kiyah Pye led the Rams (6-1) with 19 points.
 
WSSU scored the game's first six points and never trailed.  FMU trimmed the margin to 8-7 after a three-point play by Croskey, but the Rams answered with an 11-3 spurt to open a 19-10 advantage.  Winston-Salem State led 19-14 at the end of the first quarter.
 
A three-pointer by Patriot guard Tyra Myers midway through the second period cut the deficit to 21-20, and later a three-pointer by Croskey against brought Francis Marion to within one (26-25).  However, the Rams ended the quarter with an 8-4 run to lead 34-29 at halftime.
 
Winston-Salem State led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, 46-36, but Croskey capped a 7-1 spurt with a three-point play to cut the margin to 47-43 at the end of the period.
 
A floater in the lane by Croskey brought the Patriots to within four (51-47) with 8:32 remaining, but the Rams scored the next two buckets and FMU never got closer than six the rest of the contest.
 
Francis Marion connected on 31.3 percent of its field goal attempts and was 11-of-17 at the free throw stripe, while Winston-Salem State shot 38.7 percent from the field and hit 11-of-21 free throws.