FLORENCE, S.C. – Junior guard Nate Morley came off the Francis Marion University bench to tally a team-high 15 points as the Patriots held off Savannah College of Art & Design 68-65 for their first win under new coach Gary Edwards, Saturday afternoon (Nov. 18) in non-conference men’s basketball action.

FMU evens its record at 1-1, while SCAD, a member of the NAIA Florida Sun Conference, slips to 3-4.

Morley, who did not play in Wednesday’s season-opening loss, was 3-of-7 from behind the three-point arc and 6-of-8 at the free throw line in only 22 minutes of action. Senior Raymond Dorsey scored 12 points and grabbed a career-high equaling 11 rebounds, while juniors Rodrick Burton and Larnelle Peterson added 11 points each. It was Peterson’s first-ever double-digit scoring game.

Senior guard Gerard Bowden led the Bees with 21 points before fouling out. His performance included an 11-of-12 showing at the charity stripe.

Francis Marion led 32-28 at halftime. Early in the second half, SCAD stayed within five points until Dorsey scored on a layup to give the Patriots a 46-40 advantage. The margin would gradually grow to 10 points (61-51) following a fast-break layup by guard Dominic Bishop with 4:11 remaining. A 10-1 run by the Bees cut the deficit to one point at 62-61 after Bowden made a pair of free throws with 56 ticks left.

However, FMU made 6-of-8 free throws (3-of-4 by both Morley and Burton) in the final 50 seconds to seal the win.

SCAD stayed within striking distance despite shooting only 5-of-21 from the floor over the final 20 minutes. The Bees did convert 25-of-32 free throws in the second stanza.

The evenly played first half featured seven lead changes and nine ties.

Francis Marion held a 20-10 advantage in points off turnovers as SCAD committed 22 miscues.

FMU will play at The Apprentice School in Newport News, Va., Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., while SCAD plays at Shorter College, Nov. 25 at noon.