FMU ROUNDUP: Patriot men fall to USC Aiken in finale

AIKEN — The Francis Marion men’s basketball team saw its season come to an end on Wednesday night with yet another close contest in Peach Belt Conference play as the Patriots fell 105-98 in double overtime at USC Aiken.

 FMU ends the year 16-12 overall and 9-9 in the PBC.  The loss eliminated the Patriots from the race for the final Peach Belt Tournament berth from the East Division. 

USCA (19-6, 13-4) clinches the East Division’s top seed.

Twelve of FMU’s 18 conference games were decided by a combined 45 points, with four games going into overtime.

Senior forward Liki Turner scored 20 points in his final game as a Patriot, while sophomore Evrik Gary scored 19, senior Marcus Wright 13, junior Darryn Frazier 13, and junuir Zamarius McLendon 12. 

 Two other seniors also played their final game for the red, white, and blue: Marcel Williams with eight points and 6-10 center Andrew Smith with six points and a team-high nine rebounds.  A record five Patriots fouled out, including all four seniors. 

The Patriots had a chance to win the game in regulation, but McLendon missed a running jumper at the horn.  FMU could have also won the game in the first overtime period, but Williams made only one-of-two free throws in the final seconds. 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

USC Aiken 65, FMU 63

AIKEN — Senior forward Simone Trice 's heave from just inside half court missed wide as Francis Marion’s upset bid of the 10th-ranked USC Aiken.

FMU got a team-leading 15 points from sophomore guard Brittany Christian as well as 14 points from junior Kristen Dickerson , 11 coming in the first half.  FMU closes its season at 9-17 overall and 4-14 in the Peach Belt Conference.

Kayla Harris and Hannah DeGraffinreed each poured in 23 points for the Pacers (22-3, 15-2).

The Patriots held their only lead of the first half at 5-2 after a three-pointer from Dickerson at 18:04, before the Pacers reeled off 11 straight points. The run was capped off by a three-point bucket from Mia Antoine with 14:11 left in the half.

The Pacers' lead stuck around eight, before FMU worked it down to three points at 29-26 when freshman Chelsey Johnson cashed in on a layup with 3:24 remaining.  Another USC Aiken run (7-0) over the next two minutes came as the Patriots went without a bucket for 2:51 before Christian hit a three-pointer with 35 ticks left.  The Pacers held a 38-31 lead at the break.

A quick 13-2 run after recess gave the Patriots a four-point lead, 44-40, with 16:01 left in the contest.  Trice contributed an old-fashioned three-point play as she ended her final game with nine points.

An 8-0 Pacers run gave USC Aiken the lead back at 48-44 with 10:53 left.  The Pacers lead held at four (61-57) with 1:20 left before FMU put forth its final bid for the upset.  Francis Marion surged ahead on senior T.T. Belcher 's layup-and-one conversion with 40 seconds, putting FMU on top 63-61.  A pair of Harris layups on back-to-back possessions sandwiched around a crucial Patriot turnover gave the Pacers a 65-63 advantage before Trice's final effort was no good. 

SOFTBALL

Mount Olive 3-2, FMU 2-0

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. — Home runs hurt Francis Marion as the Patriots dropped a non-conference road softball doubleheader to Mount Olive College.

FMU (9-5) opens up its Peach Belt Conference schedule this weekend at home as it battles USC Aiken on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

In the opener, junior catcher Rebekah McDaniel hit a two-out, walk-off, solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Mount Olive a 3-2 win.

The Patriots led 2-0 in game one after senior second baseman Ashley Jaramillo stroked a two-run single down the left field line in the fifth inning.  The Trojans knotted the score with a pair of runs in the last of the sixth.

FMU’s designated player Murphy McConnell delivered a lead-off single in the top of the seventh, but the Patriots were unable to score, setting the stage for McDaniels’ deciding shot.

Senior right-hander Kayla Ellingsen (5-2) allowed 10 hits and the three runs, while striking out a season-high 10 and walking no one.

McConnell and senior center fielder Destinea Schneider both had two hits for Francis Marion in game one.

In the second contest, the Patriots were once again hurt by a long ball when Elizabeth Overman hit a two-run shot off FMU starter Taylor Luff (0-2) in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Luff was saddled with the loss despite only giving up three hits and striking out five Trojan hitters.

Juniors Tristan Faile and Jazz Holiday and sophomores Olivia Zielenski and Luff all had a hit for FMU in the second game.