BRISTOL, TN - Sophomore guard Kiara Croskey scored a game-high 26 points and sophomore guard Terriana Gray added a career-high 20 points as the Francis Marion University women's basketball team fell to King University 76-70 in a heartbreaking Valentine's Day clash on Saturday (Feb. 14) in the Student Complex Center.
 
Francis Marion drops to 16-8 overall and 13-3 in conference, while King improves to 12-11 overall and 9-7 in league play. The Patriots continue this brief road schedule as they travel to Ferrum College on Wednesday with a 5 p.m. tip-off.
 
Croskey also finished with six rebounds and four steals, while Gray shot 9-for-12 from the floor, and had three assists and five boards.  Junior guard Uriah Jennings scored 18 on 8-of-13 shooting.
 
The first quarter was a close matchup with highlights consisting of Jennings pacing the Patriots with nine points in the quarter, while Croskey, freshman Mariana Moody, and Gray made buckets in the paint. Both teams traded baskets, ending the period tied 19-19.
 
Croskey ignited FMU in the second by scoring in the fast break at 8:10. Gray followed as she contributed in the paint before Jennings helped the Patriots reclaim the lead at 25-24 with a tip-in. King briefly regained control with a three-point advantage before Croskey drained one from beyond the arc with 1:32 left in the half. The Sumter native would close out the second-quarter scoring for Francis Marion, making the score 31-30 in King's favor.
 
FMU started hot with a 6-0 advantage to begin the third quarter until the Tornado retaliated with a 6-0 run of their own. A hoop by FMU sophomore guard Jordan Mintz and two consecutive Gray buckets pushed the Patriots ahead 42-39. A jumper made by Croskey at the 1:47 mark tied it at 44-44.  However, King held the Patriots scoreless and would finish the quarter up 50-44.
 
In the fourth quarter, FMU and King both scored 26 points. At the 7:10 mark, Croskey converted a three-point play, FMU's first free throw attempt of the game, to cut the lead to 55-49.
After Croskey scored in transition, she came up with a steal on the next possession, setting up Gray for a fast-break bucket and the margin was cut to 64-59 with 3:30 remaining.  A couple of free throws were left at the line before Gray drilled a three with 1:19 left to make it 69-64.  After Croskey scored at the line, Jennings connected a transition three to pull within four points at 72-68, but King made 4-of-4 free throws to ice the game.
 
Overall, Francis Marion shot at a 45.3 percent clip (29-of-64) from the field with only 8-of-11 from the line for entire game. King went 36.7 percent (22-of-60) from the floor and sank 26-of-35 free throws.