PEMBROKE, N.C. – Senior guard Vony Rivers tallied team-high totals of 24 points and seven rebounds, and despite not scoring a field goal over the game's final 6:50, Francis Marion University endured for a 73-71 Peach Belt Conference road win over UNC Pembroke, Monday evening (Feb. 20) in men's action.
River connected on 9-of-16 shots, including 5-of-8 from beyond the three-point arc to lead FMU (11-14, 6-12). Seniors George Walker and Michael Carter added 14 and 10 points respectively. Carter’s two free throws with four seconds remaining in the game gave FMU a 73-69 lead and sealed the win.
Mark Salazar led UNCP (4-21, 1-17) with 19 points.
Francis Marion hit 14 of 23 field goal attempts (60.9 percent) in the opening 20 minutes and led 40-34 at halftime.
The Braves cut the lead to 43-42 early in the second half, but Francis Marion pushed the margin to double figures at 62-52 following a layup by Raymond Dorsey with 10 minutes left in the contest. FMU’s final basket was a layup by Carter with 6:52 remaining that put the Patriots up 66-60.
The Patriots hung on for the win by hitting 7-of-10 free throws down the stretch. UNCP hampered its cause by hitting only three of its final 10 field goal attempts, committing three turnovers, and missing four of eight free throws all during the final seven minutes.
The Patriots will play at Augusta State University, Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m.
2/20/06 7:30 pm at Pembroke, NC
FRANCIS MARION 73, UNC PEMBROKE 71
FRANCIS MARION (11-14, 6-12 PBC)
Rivers, Vony 9-16 1-4 24; Walker, George 3-4 7-8 14; Carter, Michael 3-8 4-4
10; Charles, Reinaldo 3-6 1-2 8; Jenkins, Michael 3-9 0-0 8; Dorsey, Raymond
2-2 0-0 4; Peterson, Larnelle 1-1 1-2 3; Braxton, Paul 1-1 0-0 2; Coakley,
Akeene 0-2 0-2 0; Lee, Artis 0-0 0-0 0; Hamilton, Marchello 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 25-49 14-22 73.
UNC PEMBROKE (4-21, 1-17 PBC)
Salazar, Mark 5-10 7-9 19; Moore, Lee 5-12 0-0 14; Brown, Cortez 2-7 4-4 10;
Carr, Tony 4-8 1-5 9; Walters, John 2-6 1-1 7; Lawrence, Scooter 2-3 1-2 5;
Adams, Jabarr 1-4 2-2 4; Campbell, Chris 1-1 1-2 3; Pinkston, Gabe 0-0 0-0
0; Brown, Jeffrey 0-1 0-0 0; Danielsen, Arne 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-52 17-25
71.
Halftime-Francis Marion 40 UNCP 34.
3-point goals-Francis Marion 9-25 (Rivers 5-8; Jenkins 2-6; Charles 1-4; Walker
1-2; Coakley 0-2; Carter 0-3), UNCP 10-20 (Moore 4-7; Salazar 2-5; Brown
2-4; Walters 2-4). Fouled out--River, Brown. Rebounds-Francis Marion 37 (Rivers
7), UNCP 26 (Carr 9). Assists-Francis Marion 11 (Jenkins 5), UNCP 14 (Lawrence
9). Total fouls-Francis Marion 24, UNCP 21. A-121
