GC&SU, third in the PBC standings, improves to 18-7 overall and 12-6 in the Peach Belt, while Francis Marion dips to 10-15 and 4-14.

Junior center Kevin Clark led FMU with a career-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while junior forward Sam Smith added 12 points.  Clark also handed out five assists.  Freshman forward David Turner came off the Patriot bench and tallied nine points and five rebounds, most of which came in the second half.

Sophomore guard Graham Martin and reserve swingman Jay Warden paced the Bobcats with 18 points apiece, while forward Shaun Keaton added 17 points.  Both Warden and Keaton drained four three-pointers each, as the Bobcats finished the night 14-of-27 from long range.

In contrast, Francis Marion managed only 3-of-22 three-point attempts.

GC&SU shot 63 percent from the floor, including 10-of-18 on three-pointers, in the opening half while taking a 45-27 lead at intermission.

That margin grew to 20 points on two occasions (47-27, 51-31) early in the final half.  The Patriots gradually chipped away at the deficit and drew to within nine points at 59-50 following a layup by Clark with 7:53 left.  FMU still trailed by nine at 65-56 with 3:34 remaining when the Bobcats ran off six unanswered points, five of which came from Keaton, to lead 71-56 as the teams entered the final minute.

Although the Patriots held advantages of 32-14 in points-in-the-paint and 15-7 on second-chance points, they could not overcome the long-range marksmanship by the Bobcats.

Francis Marion plays at Armstrong Atlantic State University on Wednesday at 7:30, while GC&SU plays at UNC Pembroke on the same evening at 7:30 p.m.