FMU women poised for another run

FLORENCE — The Francis Marion women’s basketball season does not begin in earnest until the Patriots host Converse on Nov. 15.

But please forgive the Patriots if they’re excited about tonight’s exhibition game. After all, it’s not every day a Division II team gets to play one of the nation’s elite Division I programs.

The Patriots will get to do just that against North Carolina in Chapel Hill (7 p.m. tip, free admission). The Tar Heels are ranked No. 5 in both The Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN preseason top 25 polls.

“I mean, we get to play in the ‘Dean Dome,’ one of the best college basketball venues in the world,” FMU coach Heather Macy said. “I’m excited to be coaching in that environment. I know we’ll have a lot of people from Florence come up and support us.”

North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell turned a stellar career at Francis Marion — national titles in both AIAW and NAIA — into an opportunity at North Carolina, where her team won the 1994 NCAA title.

But she still keeps tabs on the Patriots, calling often to check up on her former school, Macy said. It was during one of those conversations last year, Macy said, that the two coaches began “chatting about the possibility” of playing an exhibition game.

“And some alumni got involved and put a bug in her ear, as well, which didn’t hurt at all, so she extended the invitation,” Macy said. “Coach Hatchell has been so supportive since I’ve been here.”

Even for Macy, tonight’s game is special on a personal level. Macy, a North Carolina native, grew up following ACC basketball.

“I’m excited to be coaching in that environment,” Macy said. “But I would never put my name in the same sentence as (Hatchell’s). She’s a hall-of-fame coach.”

Of course, if Macy continues to have the success she has enjoyed in her short tenure as a head coach, there will one day be plenty of accolades coming her way, too.

But aside from the sheer excitement aspect of playing a big-time team in a big-time venue, there is plenty of basketball work to be done for the Patriots.

FMU has plenty of its own history — from Hatchell’s success in the 80s up to the two seasons Macy has spent taking the Peach Belt Conference by storm — to live up to.

The Patriots are coming off a 27-5 season, a PBC championship and a trip to the D-II Sweet 16. In two years, Macy’s teams are 48-14 with two NCAA trips, one outright PBC title and a shared one.

Returning five letter-winners, including four starters, including preseason All-Peach Belt selection Shannon Singleton-Bates (13 ppg, 5.1 rpg), expectations for FMU are as high as ever, although the Patriots are focused on just playing the game and getting better, Macy said.

“We’re not talking right now about the Sweet 16 or regular season championships,” she said. “We’re talking about defending, rebounding and making good decisions. I think when our players decided to be at Francis Marion, they came here because they wanted to play for championships. It’s a goal, but it’s unspoken.”

There are plenty of other things for Francis Marion’s newcomers to worry about now, like learning to play in the Patriots’ high-tempo, frequent-substitution style, and Macy knows that takes some getting used to.

“I’ll be impressed if everybody gets to the scorer’s table and subs in for the right person (tonight),” Macy said. “I say that jokingly but also kind of seriously. We’ve got 11 or 12 kids that will play significant minutes because we’re that deep. It’s new for them, the way we play.”

That’s just the way it is at the beginning of each season for Macy’s team. Older players are helping younger players acquire the mentality Macy’s style requires — don’t react to good plays or bad ones, just keep playing.

“We’ve been fighting that in practice and we will continue to fight it,” Macy said. “We can’t react when we make a shot or when we miss a shot. That takes time to teach. The returning players emphasize that it’s about the next play, that it might be a bad play, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad day.”

FMU ROSTER
Name Pos. Yr. Ht.
Eboni Fields G Sr. 5-5
Monica Mann G Jr. 5-5
Ana Imani G Fr. 5-8
Dawn Coleman G-F Sr. 5-10
Courtney Mealing G Fr. 5-8
Shana Franks G Sr. 5-8
Kristen Dickerson G Fr. 5-8
Robin Colbert G Jr 5-10
Danelle Downs F-C Jr. 6-0
S. Singleton-Bates G Jr. 5-10
Simone Trice F So. 5-10
Tiffany Wilson G Sr. 5-6
Nicole Mealing F Sr. 5-10
Precious Tucker F Sr. 5-10