FMU adds two men’s basketball players

Francis Marion University men’s basketball coach Gary Edwards has announced that 6-3 swingman Edward Gullatte of Shelby, N.C., and 6-9 center Mindaugas Petreikis of Siauliai, Lithuania will transfer to FMU and join the Patriot program this fall.

Gullatte will transfer to Francis Marion after two seasons at Denmark Technical College. This past season, he averaged 17 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 steals, and 3,4 assists per game playing for head coach (and former UNC standout) Donald Williams.

He earned Defensive Player of the Year honors both in college and high school. While at Shelby High School, he was named the Most Outstanding Player in the state championship game.

The 240-pound Petreikis is transferring from John Wood Community College in Quincy, Ill., where he played a pair of seasons. This past campaign, he averaged 4.7 points and 4.0 rebounds for the 19-12 Trail Blazers, while shooting 66.0 percent from field and 71.8 percent at the foul line.
He attended Pace Academy in Atlanta as a foreign exchange student.

“Gullatte is a big, athletic guard who had an outstanding two years at Denmark Tech,” Edwards said. “What impresses me the most is his defensive intensity. He is a competitor who works very hard on the court and in the classroom.

“We knew Petreikis when he was a student at Pace and have followed his progress at John Wood. He has improved to the point where he can be a solid post player in the Peach Belt Conference. He is also an outstanding student.”

Both Gullatte and Petreikis were Dean’s List students at their respective colleges.

The two will join three other newcomers at Francis Marion this fall: 6-2 freshmen guard Evrik Gary of Camden, 5-11 junior guard Bryant Julious of Hemingway, and 6-6 junior forward Liki Turner of Richmond, Va.

Francis Marion finished the 2008-09 season with a 16-12 record.