Box Score DUE WEST, SC – Junior center Jasmine Grant set career high of 22 points and 12 rebounds and Francis Marion University used a 22-3 first-half run to take control en route to a 91-60 road victory over Erskine College, Wednesday evening (Jan. 21) in Conference Carolinas women's basketball play.
 
Francis Marion improves to 11-7 overall and 8-2 in conference play. The Patriots were scheduled to play at Converse University on Saturday, but that contest has been postponed to Feb. 12 due to forecasted winter weather in the Upstate.  FMU's next game will be at the University of Mount Olive on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 5 p.m.
 
Grant canned 9-of-11 field goal attempts and also registered three blocked shots.  Freshman Jaliyah Benefield also set a career-high with 22 points as she hit 9-of-16 shots and grabbed five boards.
 
FMU sophomore point guard Kiara Croskey scored 12 points and pilfered five steals, while sophomore Terriana Gray tallied 11 points, seven assists, and five rebounds.  Sophomore guard Jordan Mintz added a career-high 10 points while making her first career collegiate start.
 
Senior forward Albany Wilson, a product of South Florence High School, paced Erskine (1-13, 0-8) with 23 points and six rebounds.
 
Erskine's only lead came on two free throws to open the contest, but the Flying Fleet did forge a pair of ties at 5-5 and 10-10.  It was after the second deadlock that Francis Marion started its 22-3 run that stretched into the second quarter. 
 
After leading 28-13 at the end of the first period, layups by Grant and junior guard MacKenzie Feagin completed the run that produced a 32-13 advantage.
 
Erskine trimmed the margin to 42-25, but the Patriots closed the half on a 14-7 spurt that included six points each from Grant and Croskey.  FMU led 56-32 at halftime.
 
The Flying Fleet did open the third quarter with a 10-2 spurt that cut the deficit to 16 points at 58-42.  However, Francis Marion scored the next 11 points – five by Grant – to expand the margin back to 69-42 and the outcome was never again in doubt.
 
Francis Marion shot a season-best 52.1 percent from the field, while holding Erskine to just 32.7 percent.
 
FMU forced 26 turnovers that led to a 38-17 edge in points-off-turnovers.  The Patriots also led 54-20 in points-in-the-paint and 25-9 in second-chance points.