AMERICUS, GA – Despite a career-high 19 points from junior forward Sam Smith, Francis Marion University dropped its eighth straight game, a 70-64 decision to Georgia Southwestern State University, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 9) in Peach Belt Conference men’s action.
Smith, who missed one game and played sparingly in two others because of an injury, scored all but two of his points in 16 minutes during the second half. Junior center Kevin Clark added 11 points and seven rebounds for FMU (8-12, 2-11), while freshman forward Simel Boyd had nine points.
Aaron Wyatt paced the Hurricanes (7-14, 4-10) with 32 points, while Anthony Sargent scored 20 points. Wyatt was 18-of-21 at the free throw line as Georgia Southwestern recorded a 29-11 advantage in free throws made.
The Patriots led for most of the first half, but the two squads left the floor for intermission tied at 24-24.
Georgia Southwestern opened the second stanza with a 14-4 spurt to take a 38-28 lead. Francis Marion slowly rallied and three-pointer by Ziyadah Carter with 5:19 left gave the Patriots a 52-51 advantage. FMU trailed 57-56 with 3:01 remaining when the Hurricanes scored three consecutive baskets to open a 63-56 lead.
A three-pointer by Clark trimmed the margin to 66-64 with 15 ticks on the clock, but four free throws by the Hurricanes in the final seconds sealed the win.
FMU shot 50 percent (24-of-48) from the floor, but could not overcome the deficit at the charity stripe. Georgia Southwestern also took good care of the ball only committing seven turnovers.
Francis Marion ends its three-game road swing (in five days) on Sunday with a 4 p.m. game at Columbus State University. The video broadcast of the game can be purchased at http://www.peachbeltsports.tv/.
2-9-08 4 pm at Americus, GA
GEORGIA SOUTHWESTERN 70, FRANCIS MARION 64
FRANCIS MARION (8-12 , 2-11 PBC)
Smith, Sam 6-10 6-7 19; Clark, Kevin 4-6 1-2 11; Boyd, Simel 3-7 3-6 9;
Carter, Ziyadah 3-7 0-0 7; Peterson, Larnelle 2-3 1-1 5; Power, Houston 2-5
0-0 5; Burton, Rodrick 2-3 0-0 4; Turner, David 1-1 0-0 2; Jones, Crayton
1-3 0-0 2; Laney, Michael 0-0 0-0 0; Morley, Nate 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 24-48
11-16 64.
GEORGIA SOUTHWESTERN (7-14 , 4-10 PBC)
Wyatt, Aaron 6-11 18-21 32; Sargent, Anthony 5-13 6-9 20; Ward, Corey 1-2
3-7 5; Carter, Michael 2-7 0-1 5; Roderick, Ric 1-4 1-2 3; Owsley, Travis
1-3 1-4 3; Hunt, Dannie 1-1 0-1 2. Totals 17-41 29-45 70.
Halftime: Francis Marion 24 GSW 24.
3-point goals-Francis Marion 5-14 (Clark, Kevin 2-3; Carter, Ziyadah 1-3;
Power, Houston 1-2; Smith, Sam 1-1; Morley, Nate 0-3; Burton, Rodrick 0-1;
Boyd, Simel 0-1), Georgia Southwestern 7-17 (Sargent, Anthony 4-7; Wyatt,
Aaron 2-4; Carter, Michael 1-2; Owsley, Travis 0-1; Roderick, Ric 0-2; Ward,
Corey 0-1). Fouled out--Francis Marion-Smith, Sam; Carter, Ziyadah; Clark,
Kevin, Georgia Southwestern-Carter, Michael. Rebounds-Francis Marion 38
(Clark, Kevin 7), Georgia Southwestern 31 (Hunt, Dannie 5; Wyatt, Aaron 5).
Assists-Francis Marion 11 (Power, Houston 3), Georgia Southwestern 6
(Owsley, Travis 4). Total fouls-Francis Marion 34, Georgia Southwestern 16.
A-225
