Hot-shooting Patriot Men take 73-52 win over GSW

FLORENCE, S.C. – Francis Marion University used an 18-4 run midway through the first half to gain a double-figure lead and then the Patriots used some hot shooting over the final 20 minutes to register a 73-52 win over Georgia Southwestern State University, Saturday evening (Feb. 7) in Peach Belt Conference men’s basketball action.

The Patriots (13-7, 6-7) win for the third time in their last five outings and move into sole possession of fifth place in the PBC standings. FMU also surpasses its win total of last season (12-16 mark).

Senior forward Sam Smith paced FMU with 14 points as he hit 4-of-5 field goal attempts and 6-of-7 free throws. Senior point guard Crayton Jones added 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while junior 6-7 forward Matt French chipped in 11 points and five rebounds off the Patriot bench.

Senior guard Anthony Sargent led the Hurricanes (8-13, 4-10) with 14 points, but was held to 5-of-14 shooting. Junior 6-7 center Chris Rawls added 12 points.

Jones started the Patriots off to a 4-0 lead with back-to-back layups on Francis Marion’s first two possessions. Although the score was tied once at 6-6, FMU never trailed in the contest. The Patriot advantage was only 12-10 when Francis Marion scored 18 of the game’s next 22 points to lead 30-14 with under seven minutes left in the half.

The Patriots led 40-27 at intermission as senior Houston Power dropped in a layup one second before the halftime horn sounded.

Over the final 20 minutes, Francis Marion connected on 12-of-20 shots and 8-of-11 free throws. Georgia Southwestern did trim the margin to 41-32 following a layup by Sargent minutes into the second half, but FMU responded with an 8-0 spurt, six of which came from Jones, and the margin would never again dip under double digits.

The Hurricanes were within 12 points (63-51) with 5:33 after a layup by Sargent. Six points by Smith then fueled a 10-0 run that decided the outcome once-and-for-all.

While shooting 60.0 percent in the second stanza, FMU also held the Hurricanes to 27.6 percent (8-of-29).

Francis Marion held a commanding 46-19 rebounding advantage and led 17-5 in second-chance points and 42-14 in points-in-the-paint.

The FMU Men will play at UNC Pembroke, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., while Georgia Southwestern hosts Clayton State University on the same night, also at 7:30 p.m.