BRISTOL, TN – Despite a 23-point performance from senior swingman Cole Deptula, Francis Marion University dropped a 106-78 decision to King University on Saturday (Feb. 14) in Conference Carolinas men's basketball action.

The Patriots (7-17, 7-9) will conclude their three-game roadstand on Wednesday, Feb. 18, with a divisional contest at Ferrum College at 7 p.m.

Deptula scored a team-high 23 points while converting 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. He also added seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 37 minutes on the court. Junior guard Kennard Davis contributed 15 points, six rebounds, five assists, and one steal in 31 minutes. Sophomore forward Clyde Mauldin scored 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting with four rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench.

The Tornado (11-13, 9-7) featured five players in double-figures, led by Jordan Akal with 25 points.

Francis Marion jumped out to an early 15-7 advantage in the first half after converting seven of their initial eight shots of the game. The Patriots managed to open up a double-digit lead over the next four minutes with a 17-7 run, as Mauldin and Deptula combined for 12 points, 32-16. The Tornado mounted an impressive 19-6 rally to close the gap to 38-35 with 4:31 to go after hitting 6-of-10 shots from the field. The Patriots countered with four unanswered points before King tallied 10 of the final 12 points of the half to take a 45-44 lead into the break.

The Tornado extended their lead in the opening three minutes of the second half to 58-46 following a 13-2 run. Francis Marion scored seven of the next eight points to cut the deficit to 59-53 with 13:11 to go. King began to take control of the game over the next four-plus minutes with a 19-5 run while holding FMU to just 1-of-13 shooting. With the Tornado ahead by an 80-60 margin with 7:23 left, King hit seven-of-eight attempts and made 13-of-15 from the free-throw line to seal a 106-78 win.

FMU shot at a 34.8 clip (23-of-66) from the floor, while going 24-of-32 (75.0 percent) from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, King finished the game shooting 48.5  percent (32-of-66) and converted 35-of-40 (87.5 percent) from the free-throw line. The Patriots held a 42-38 rebounding advantage with 30 points in the paint. The Tornado tallied 44 fastbreak points and 20 points off 17 turnovers.