FLORENCE, S.C. – With four starters scoring in double figures, Columbus State University connected on 13 three-point baskets to race past Francis Marion University 90-71, Sunday afternoon (Jan. 6) in Peach Belt Conference men’s basketball action.
CSU (5-8, 1-2) earns its first PBC win, while FMU drops to 7-3 overall and 1-2 in the conference, and fails in its first attempt at picking up win number 500 in the program’s 38-year history.
Junior forward Sam Smith led Francis Marion with 16 points and seven rebounds, while junior center Kevin Clark added 13 points and six rebounds and junior guard Houston Power tallied 11 points and six assists.
Senior guard Corris Portis paced Columbus State with 20 points, including four three-pointers, while junior guard Javarus Stewart contributed 17 points and six rebounds; junior 6-7 forward Maurice Arnold had 14 points, eight rebounds, and five steals; and senior guard Travis Matthews had 12 points. Senior 6-10 center Miguel Morton scored eight points, grabbed nine rebounds, and blocked four shots.
Holding a slim 20-18 lead with 10:19 left in the opening stanza, Columbus State pieced together a 14-2 spurt with five layups and a three-pointer to take a 34-20 lead. The Cougars held a 49-34 advantage at halftime.
A jump shot by Clark pulled FMU to within 56-44 early in the second half, but the lead quickly ballooned to 64-44 following a three-pointer by Sean Miller. A gradual 15-5 run by Francis Marion trimmed the margin to 75-65 after a three-pointer by Power with four minutes remaining. Following a CSU miss, FMU had an opportunity to get the margin under double figures, but turned the ball over on a bad pass.
Eight points by Portis fueled a 10-0 run by the Cougars who regained a 20-point lead at 85-65.
Francis Marion did continue its hot performance at the free throw stripe by making 13 of 16 attempts. Over the past four games the Patriots have made 55 of 65 charity tosses (84.6%).
CSU played the game without one of its top scorers Daniel Quinlan (10.5 ppg).
Both teams will play on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. with FMU entertaining nationally ranked USC Aiken and CSU traveling to Clayton State University.
1-6-08 4:17 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
COLUMBUS STATE UNIVERSITY 90, FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 71
COLUMBUS STATE UNIVERSITY (5-8 , 1-2 PBC)
Portis, Corris 7-10 2-3 20; Stewart, Javarus 7-14 1-2 17; Arnold, Maurice
7-9 0-0 14; Matthews, Travis 4-9 2-3 12; Miller, Sean 3-10 0-0 9; Holloway,
Quay 3-8 0-1 8; Morton, Miguel 3-11 2-3 8; Chester, Ryan 0-0 2-2 2; Tarver,
Jeff 0-1 0-1 0. Totals 34-72 9-15 90.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (7-3 , 1-2 PBC)
Smith, Sam 6-13 4-5 16; Clark, Kevin 5-7 2-3 13; Power, Houston 3-9 3-3 11;
Carter, Ziyadah 4-11 0-0 9; Laney, Michael 2-7 2-2 7; Baker, Cortne' 1-3 2-2
5; Jones, Crayton 2-2 0-1 4; Turner, David 2-7 0-0 4; Boyd, Simel 1-5 0-0 2;
Stiglbauer, Carter 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 26-66 13-16 71.
Halftime: Columbus State 49 Francis Marion 34.
3-point goals-Columbus State University 13-34 (Portis, Corris 4-6; Miller,
Sean 3-6; Matthews, Travis 2-7; Holloway, Quay 2-7; Stewart, Javarus 2-5;
Morton, Miguel 0-3), Francis Marion University 6-27 (Power, Houston 2-5;
Carter, Ziyadah 1-4; Clark, Kevin 1-2; Baker, Cortne' 1-3; Laney, Michael
1-5; Boyd, Simel 0-3; Turner, David 0-2; Smith, Sam 0-3). Fouled
out--Columbus State University-Stewart, Javarus, Francis Marion
University-None. Rebounds-Columbus State University 41 (Morton, Miguel 9),
Francis Marion University 39 (Smith, Sam 7). Assists-Columbus State
University 18 (Matthews, Travis 4), Francis Marion University 21 (Power,
Houston 6). Total fouls-Columbus State University 17, Francis Marion
University 20. A-375
