FLORENCE, SC – Young Harris College scored the final six points of the game after a late Francis Marion University rally as the Mountain Lions claimed a 56-50 win, Saturday afternoon (Jan. 10) in Conference Carolinas women's basketball play.
 
Francis Marion, now 7-7 overall and 4-2 in conference play, while its next two games on the road: Tuesday at Barton College and Saturday at Emmanuel (Ga.) University.
 
Sophomore point guard Kiara Croskey and sophomore forward Terriana Gray led FMU with 12 points apiece, while junior guard Uriah Jennings added 11 points.
 
Forward Annalise Malone paced Young Harris (11-4, 5-2) with 18 points and nine rebounds.
 
The Patriots took an early 6-2 lead, but Young Harris responded with an 18-4 run to go up 20-10 at the end of the first quarter.
 
The Mountain Lions led by as many as 14 in the second period, 27-13, before FMU closed the half on an 8-2 spurt to climb within 29-21 at halftime.  Gray contributed five points to that rally.
 
Francis Marion pulled to with one possession on three occasions in the third quarter, but Young Harris led 43-38 heading to the final period.
 
A three-pointer by the Mountain Lions to open the final quarter swelled the margin to eight (46-38), but Francis Marion rallied and finally knotted the score at 50-50 on a three-pointer from the left corner by sophomore guard Jordan Mintz with 1:47 remaining.  However, that would be the final points for the Patriots as FMU missed its final three shots and committed two turnovers.
 
Francis Marion shot 32.8 percent from the floor and was 6-of-12 at the free throw line, while the Mountain Lions connected on 40.4 percent of their field goal attempts and were 9-of-12 at the stripe.