Poor Start Dooms Patriot Women at USCA
AIKEN, S.C. - Francis Marion University connected on only six of 30 field goal attempts in the opening half and the Patriots were unable to overcome that poor start while losing 57-51 to USC Aiken, Wednesday evening (Feb. 15) in Peach Belt Conference women's action.
The Patriots, losers of seven of their last nine contests, drop to 9-13 overall and 7-9 in the PBC. USCA (9-14, 5-11) snaps its own six-game losing skid.
Senior Danielle Moore led FMU with 19 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore forward Shonelle Downer added 10 points, her fifth double-figure scoring game in the past seven contests.
Avonte Williams led three Lady Pacers in double figures with 14 points. USCA’s Meredith Legg added 10 points, but her streak of consecutive made free throws came to an end at 45, eight shy of the NCAA record of 53.
USCA broke a 2-2 tie with a 10-0 run and never trailed in the game. The Lady Pacer lead would balloon to 28-12 following a layup by Jordon Thomas with 4:06 left in the opening stanza. The Patriots trailed 30-17 at halftime following the 20 percent shooting performance.
Francis Marion warmed up in the final half, shooting 48.3 percent from the floor. Trailing 45-33 with 11:15 remaining in the game, FMU responded with an 11-1 spurt that trimmed the margin to 46-44 with 5:50 left.
A jumper by Moore with 1:16 on the clock again cut the deficit to two points, 53-51, but USCA’s Satu Leppanen scored a basket with 37 ticks left to up the margin to 55-51. FMU freshman Kirby Marsh misfired on a three-point attempt on the ensuing possession, and following a missed Lady Pacer free throw, Patriot freshman Katherine Kiefer missed a jumper with seven seconds left, before Leppanen sealed the victory with a pair of free throws.
FMU will play host to Columbus State University, Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will feature a visit by the NCAA Basketball mascot J.J. Jumper.
2-15-06 5:30 pm at Aiken, S.C. (The Courthouse)
USC AIKEN 57, FRANCIS MARION 51
FRANCIS MARION (9-13, 7-9 PBC)
Moore, Danielle 8-16 2-5 19; Downer, Shonelle 5-9 0-0 10; Mack, Shavone 3-7
2-2 8; Guilliams, Renee 2-8 0-0 6; Young, Brittany 1-6 2-4 4; Marsh, Kirby
1-8 2-2 4; Kiefer, Katherine 0-4 0-0 0; Preal, Shaketa 0-1 0-0 0;
Gandy-Miller, Sienna 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-59 8-13 51.
USC AIKEN (9-14, 5-11 PBC)
Williams, Avonte 6-13 0-1 14; Leppanen, Satu 5-11 3-4 13; Legg, Meredith 4-8
0-1 10; Starnes, Megan 4-9 0-0 9; Thomas, Jordon 1-8 3-4 5; Allee, Mindy 2-3
0-0 4; Bennett, Nichole 0-2 2-2 2; Jones, Keirstin 0-0 0-0 0; Chandler,
Kendra 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 22-57 8-12 57.
Halftime-USCA 30 Francis Marion 17.
3-point goals-Francis Marion 3-18 (Guilliams, Renee 2-6; Moore, Danielle
1-2; Young, Brittany 0-2; Marsh, Kirby 0-5; Kiefer, Katherine 0-2; Preal,
Shaketa 0-1), USC Aiken 5-15 (Williams, Avonte 2-3; Legg, Meredith 2-5;
Starnes, Megan 1-3; Allee, Mindy 0-1; Bennett, Nichole 0-1; Thomas, Jordon
0-1; Leppanen, Satu 0-1). Fouled out--Francis Marion-Downer, Shonelle, USC
Aiken-None. Rebounds-Francis Marion 35 (Mack, Shavone 7; Moore, Danielle 7),
USC Aiken 43 (Legg, Meredith 7). Assists-Francis Marion 12 (Young, Brittany
8), USC Aiken 16 (Allee, Mindy 4). Total fouls-Francis Marion 15, USC Aiken
13. A-659
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