FLORENCE, SC – In the final non-conference matchup of the season, the Francis Marion University men's basketball program dropped an 85-73 decision to Wingate University on New Year's Eve in the University Center on Wednesday afternoon (Dec. 31).
Following the loss, the Patriots fall to 2-9 overall and will return to Conference Carolinas play for a 17-game stretch beginning Saturday, Jan. 3, at Lees-McRae with tip-off set for 4 p.m.
Graduate student guard
Farid SaintCyr Jr. scored a game-high 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting with a trio of three-pointers. He also added five rebounds, five assists, and four steals in 25 minutes on the court.
Senior guard
Cole Deptula finished with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 35 minutes. Sophomore forward
Clyde Mauldin finished with 10 points and three rebounds after battling foul trouble. Senior forward
Adonis Cole fell just short of the double-double after tallying eight points, nine rebounds, and two steals in 22 minutes.
Alex Goldey led three Bulldogs (7-4) in double-figures with 19 points.
In the first half, the sides exchanged baskets over the initial four minutes of the contest before the Bulldogs mounted a 7-2 run to pull ahead by a 13-8 margin with 13:46 remaining. Mauldin answered with a layup on the next possession, but Wingate scored five unanswered points to stretch the lead to 18-10. With the Bulldogs holding a 24-14 advantage with 8:11 left, the Patriots chipped away at the deficit with back-to-back buckets. Wingate increased its lead in the final minutes of the first half to head into the break with a 38-24 edge.
The Bulldogs continued their strong shooting performance in the second half after taking the lead to 50-32 with just over 15 minutes to go. Despite four straight points by Francis Marion, Wingate went on a 15-3 run to hold a 65-39 advantage. The Patriots rallied in the closing minutes of the contest after converting five-of-eight from the field with a pair of three-pointers to trail by a 79-66 margin with 1:35 to go. Both sides exchanged baskets in the final seconds as Wingate secured the 85-73 win.
Francis Marion finished the contest shooting 25-of-66 (37.9 percent) from the floor while converting 89.5 percent (17-of-19) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Wingate posted a .483 field goal percentage (28-of-58) and made 21-of-30 (70.0 percent) from the charity stripe. The Bulldogs finished with a 40-34 rebounding advantage with 47 points off the bench. The Patriots totaled 31 fastbreak points and 36 points in the paint.
