MOUNT OLIVE, NC –  Senior forward Kiana Lee scored a game-high 24 points and hot-shooting Francis Marion University never trailed in claiming a 95-64 road win over the University of Mount Olive, Tuesday evening (Feb. 11) in Conference Carolina women's basketball play.
 
Francis Marion improves to 18-5 overall and 13-3 in the conference.  The Patriots will enjoy a rare weekend off before hosting UNC Pembroke on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 5:30 p.m. in the latest installment of the Battle of I-95.
 
Lee connected on 7-of-11 field goal attempts, including 5-of-6 from behind the three-point arc, and was 5-of-5 at the free throw stripe.  She had tied the single-game three-point accuracy mark at 5-of-5 before missing on her final attempt.  Lee also pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds for her eighth career double-double.
 
Lee also climbed three places on the FMU career scoring list to 26th position with 1,160 points, only two shy of former guard Cherita Linton for 25th place.
 
Senior Jara Richards scored 17 points, while junior Trinity Adams tallied 14 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.  Senior guard Kennedi Simmons chipped in 13 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
 
Francis Marion made 14 three-pointers (in 28 attempts) to equal the second highest total in program history – previously accomplished against Presbyterian College in 2004.  The Patriots were a perfect 17-of-17 at the foul line, the second-best single-game performance in program history behind only a 21-of-21 night against Lander University in 2016.
 
Jerin Truesdale led UMO (3-18, 2-14) with 22 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, while Anna Miller scored 20 points.
 
Richards opened the game with a fast-break lay-up and a three-pointer and FMU never trailed.  After Miller scored for the Trojans, Francis Marion responded with 17 straight points to go ahead 22-2.  The Patriots led 24-10 at the end of the first quarter and 47-26 at halftime.
 
Francis Marion's largest lead came at 70-32 after a three-pointer by sophomore MacKenzie Feagin with 4:45 left in the third quarter.
 
Altogether, FMU shot 48.5 percent from the floor, while UMO connected on 42.6 percent of its shots.  Francis Marion, which leads the conference in scoring offense, has averaged 95.3 points per game over its last three outings.