HARTSVILLE, SC – Freshman Shannon Singleton-Bates came off the Francis Marion University bench to score a game-high 17 points and the Patriots survived a late Coker College rally to claim an 84-77 win, Saturday afternoon (Dec. 15) in the final game of the Lady Cobra Classic.

FMU (6-1) equals its win total of last season as the Patriots break for the holidays.  Francis Marion will host Erskine College on Jan. 2 at 5:30 p.m.

Junior reserve guard Shaquana Morgan scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds, while sophomore Yasmean Dixon added 11 points and 11 rebounds and point guard Kevina Ransom tallied 10 points.

Singleton-Bates was named the event’s most valuable player, while Dixon was also named to the All-Tournament Team.

Coker (1-8) surprised FMU by taking a 12-0 lead to open the game.  Francis Marion slowly rallied and took the lead at 22-21 on a fast-break layup by Morgan.  Her basket was part of a 21-4 FMU run that led to a 47-34 halftime advantage.

Following a three-pointer by Morgan, the Patriots led 59-42.  Coker then pieced together a rally that saw the Cobras go ahead 71-70 on a layup by Maija Castren with 5:22 left.  FMU’s leading scorer Brittany Young then found the range on a three-pointer, her only bucket of the contest, to go ahead for good at 73-71.

That basket started a 12-0 spurt that gave FMU a commanding 82-71 lead with three minutes remaining.

Point guard Megan Thomas led Coker with 14 points as five Cobras scored in double figures.