SAVANNAH, GA - Senior Nate Morley scored 15 points and Francis Marion University rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to beat Armstrong Atlantic State University 66-61 in overtime, Wednesday night (Feb. 27) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.
Morley was 4-of-7 from three-point range as the Patriots improve to 11-15 overall and 5-14 in the PBC and snap a 21-game losing streak in games played in the state of Georgia. Senior Rodrick Burton tallied 12 points, including two key buckets in overtime, and Sam Smith added 11 points and nine rebounds.
Francis Marion trailed by 17 points, 51-34, with 8:40 remaining, but after that point the Pirates (16-10, 10-9 PBC) went a collective 0-for-18 from the field in the rest of the second half and overtime, helping the Patriots to the victory. FMU had trailed at halftime 32-21.
Smith made one of two free throws for the Patriots with 4.6 seconds left that tied the game at 55-55 and sent it to the extra period. In the extra frame, Morley canned a three-pointer from 25 feet out as the shot clock expired to give Francis Marion a six-point lead, 64-58, with 1:16 remaining and seal the victory.
Corey Johnson led all scorers on the night for the Pirates with 22 points, while T.T. Hall added 14 points off the bench. Seven seniors, including Johnson, said goodbye to Alumni Arena on Wednesday night. Senior Jamaal Galloway – who endured an 0-for-11 night from three-point range – leaves as AASU’s all-time leading three-point shooter, while senior William Kane dished out six assists on the night to tie Matt Causey’s PBC-only single-season assist record of 136.
Francis Marion will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, with its Homecoming contest against Clayton State University at 4 p.m.
2-27-08 7:30 p.m. at Savannah, Ga. (Alumni Arena)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 66, ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC 61
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (11-15, 5-14 PBC)
Morley, Nate 5-8 1-2 15; Burton, Rodrick 5-7 1-3 12; Smith, Sam 4-9 3-4 11;
Boyd, Simel 4-6 0-1 8; Jones, Crayton 2-7 3-5 7; Power, Houston 2-7 0-0 6;
Turner, David 1-4 2-3 4; Stiglbauer, Carter 0-0 2-2 2; Laney, Michael 0-4
1-2 1; Clark, Kevin 0-4 0-0 0; Peterson, Larnelle 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-56
13-22 66.
ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC (16-10, 10-9 PBC)
Johnson, Corey 7-13 7-7 22; Hall, T.T. 6-11 1-1 14; Brown, Franchot 2-8 4-6
8; Wilson, Calvin 3-6 1-5 7; Kane, William 1-6 0-0 3; Sanou, Patrick 1-7 1-4
3; Moultrie, Brian 1-1 0-0 2; Galloway, Jamaal 0-12 2-2 2; Ancrum, Bobby 0-1
0-2 0; Bloemhof, Nick 0-0 0-0 0; Fanning, Jimmy 0-0 0-0 0; Hayden, Parker
0-0 0-0 0; Webber, Andrew 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 21-67 16-27 61.
Halftime: AASU 32 Francis Marion 21. Regulation: 55-55.
3-point goals-Francis Marion University 7-20 (Morley, Nate 4-7; Power,
Houston 2-5; Burton, Rodrick 1-1; Jones, Crayton 0-1; Turner, David 0-1;
Laney, Michael 0-2; Clark, Kevin 0-2; Boyd, Simel 0-1), Armstrong Atlantic
3-22 (Hall, T.T. 1-3; Kane, William 1-4; Johnson, Corey 1-3; Galloway,
Jamaal 0-11; Webber, Andrew 0-1). Fouled out--Francis Marion
University-Smith, Sam, Armstrong Atlantic-Kane, William. Rebounds-Francis
Marion University 45 (Smith, Sam 9), Armstrong Atlantic 45 (Brown, Franchot
11). Assists-Francis Marion University 16 (Jones, Crayton 6), Armstrong
Atlantic 10 (Kane, William 6). Total fouls-Francis Marion University 26,
Armstrong Atlantic 24. A-824
