FLORENCE, SC – Junior forward Jordyn Surratt scored a career-high 40 points, one shy of the school single-game record, but Francis Marion University fell in overtime 107-101 to Lees-McRae College, Saturday (Feb. 8) afternoon in Conference Carolinas men's basketball play.
 
The Patriots (8-15, 6-9) will travel to play the University of Mount Olive on Tuesday (Feb. 11) at 7 p.m.
 
Surratt connected on 18-of-26 field goal attempts and was 4-of-5 at the free throw line.  He also grabbed six rebounds.  His point total was only the third 40-point game in the 54-year history of the Patriot program, and one shy of Detrek Browning's 41-point outing in 2018.
 
FMU freshman center Alex Atkinson tallied 22 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks, while senior guard Ibrahim Wattara chipped in 13 points and eight boards.
 
Patriot junior guard Jaden Broughton registered a career-high 11 points in his first collegiate start, and dished out a team-high six assists and pilfered four steals.
 
DJ Kent paced Lees-McRae (9-13, 7-8) with 28 points and six rebounds, while Drew Redmond scored 27 points with five steals.
 
Francis Marion's only lead of the opening half came at 3-2.  But despite not playing in front, FMU never trailed by more than five points over the opening 20 minutes.
 
Wattara knotted the score at 42-42 on two free throws just before halftime, but the Bobcats would own a 45-44 advantage at the break.
 
A nine-point spurt by Lees-McRae put the Patriots in a 56-46 deficit at the 17:06 mark.  FMU responded with a 14-2 run, including eight points from Atkinson, to surge ahead 60-58.  The margin was never more than four points over the next nine minutes.
 
The Patriots snapped a 76-76 deadlock with six straight points, and led 84-79 with 2:23 remaining.  The Bobcats rallied and took an 89-87 lead on Redmond's three-pointer with 44 ticks left, but Surratt forced overtime with a lay-in with 21 seconds left.
 
Surratt again tied the contest at 101-101 on an inside hoop with 1:06 left in the extra session.  Dre Nelson's basket gave Lees-McRae a 103-101 lead inside the final minute and Kent and Redmond would seal the win with a pair of free throws each in the final 19 seconds.
 
Both teams shot well from the floor (FMU 55.4%, LMC 50.0%).