FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore point guard Kiara Croskey registered team-highs of 23 points and seven rebounds and Francis Marion University erased a seven-point third-quarter deficit to claim an 80-69 win over Anderson (S.C.) University, Tuesday evening (Dec. 2) in non-conference women's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion improves to 5-1 and will take a brief break for final exams.  The Patriots' next four games will be on the road, beginning with a Dec. 9 contest at USC Aiken.
 
Croskey connected on 8-of-13 field goal attempts and was 6-of-7 at the foul line, while also handing out four assists and making two steals. 
 
FMU senior forward Bentlee Chockley scored 13 points and junior guard Uriah Jennings added 11 points.  Freshman 6-0 center Mariana Moody chipped in eight points and six rebounds off the bench.
 
Graduate student guard Ciara Harris paced Anderson (2-3) with 28 points before fouling out.
 
Francis Marion forced 21 Anderson turnovers that were converted into 24 points.  The Patriots committed only seven miscues.
 
A pair of buckets by junior center Jasmine Grant keyed a game-opening 7-0 run for FMU.  The Patriots would later lead 12-3 and 18-10 before the Trojans pulled to within 20-15 at the end of the first quarter.

Francis Marion led by as many as seven on three occasions in the second period, including 42-35 when the halftime horn sounded.
 
Anderson quickly knotted the score in the third quarter at 44-44.  After additional deadlocks at 46-46 and 48-48, the Trojans took their first lead with a 7-0 spurt to go on top 55-48 with 3:24 left in the period.  FMU would outscore Anderson 32-14 the remainder of the contest.  It started with an 8-0 run that included three-pointers from junior guard MacKenzie Feagin and Chockley. After a pair of Trojan free throws, FMU took the lead for good at 59-57 on a step-back three-pointer by Croskey with one second left in the third quarter.
 
An 8-2 spurt – featuring six points by Croskey – to start the final period pushed the margin to 67-59.  Anderson trimmed the margin to 69-64, but Feagin and senior guard Tyra Myers connected on three-pointers to expand the lead to double figures and the Patriots cruised from that point.
 
Francis Marion connected on 42.4 percent of its shots and was 18-of-21 at the free throw stripe, while Anderson drained 46.3 percent of its shots and hit 12-of-14 charity tosses.