HARROGATE, TN – Sophomore guard Kiara Croskey led three Francis Marion University players scoring in double figures, but the sixth-seeded Patriots lost an 83-54 decision to third-seeded and 17th-ranked Coker University, Friday afternoon (March 13) in an opening round game of the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Southeast Regional Tournament.
 
Francis Marion ends its season 19-11 after making its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, a feat accomplished despite losing two starters and a top reserve in the opening 11 contests of the 2025-26 season.  There were no seniors listed on the FMU roster that played on Friday.
 
Croskey scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while both junior Uriah Jennings and sophomore Terriana Gray tallied 12 points and six rebounds apiece.
 
Kristynn Knight paced four Coker players in double digits with 16 points.  The 26-6 Cobras advance to Saturday's semifinals.
 
Croskey canned the game's first bucket, but Coker answered with a 10-1 run to take the lead for good.  Trailing 20-11 with 2:30 left in the first quarter, the Patriots closed the period with a 7-2 spurt – including four points from Croskey – to close within 22-18.
 
The Cobras open the second quarter with an 11-2 run that pushed the margin to double figures at 33-20.  Altogether Coker outscored FMU 27-7 in the period to forge a 49-25 advantage.  Coker hit 60 percent of its shots in the quarter, including both of its three-point attempts.
 
The margin stayed above 20 points for the remainder of the game.
 
Francis Marion shot 34.5 percent from the floor and hit 13-of-22 free throw attempts. Coker connected on 53.4 percent of its field goal attempts, including 9-of-16 from behind the three-point arc, and shot 12-of-15 at the charity stripe.