FLORENCE, S.C. – Seniors Raymond Dorsey and Dominic Bishop scored career highs of 23 and 21 points respectively and Francis Marion University snapped a 10-game losing streak with an 85-78 win over USC Aiken, Wednesday night (Jan. 17) in Peach Belt Conference men's action.
In posting a season-high point total, the Patriots improve to 4-11 overall and 1-4 in the PBC giving first-year head coach Gary Edwards his first conference victory.
Dorsey, a Florence native and a Wilson High School product, hit on 10 of 12 shots and hauled down six rebounds and blocked two shots. Bishop was 9-of-16 from the field and also handed out a season-high seven assists. FMU totaled 27 assists, only two shy of the team record.
Freshman Casey McMasters paced USCA (6-11, 1-4) with 25 points, including a 7-of-12 showing from beyond the three-point arc. Guards Kingsley Oguchi and Brandon Shephard scored 18 and 17 points respectively, while forward Theo Oates tallied 13 points and 12 rebounds.
After USCA scored the game’s opening basket, Francis Marion ran off eight straight points and never trailed again en route to a 43-30 halftime advantage.
A fast-break basket by Bishop with 16:25 left put FMU up 53-39. However, the Pacers outscored the Patriots 28-14 over the next 10 minutes to tie the game at 67-67. A three-pointer by McMasters finished the run, which featured seven points by Oguchi. Sophomore Akeene Coakley responded with a pair of three-pointers sandwiched around a Bishop layup to give FMU a 75-70 advantage with 5:21 remaining.
The margin was four points entering the final minute, but Bishop scored on a fast-break layup and the Patriots hit 6-of-8 free throws to seal the win.
Francis Marion connected on 63 percent of its field goal attempts, the team’s best performance in 80 games dating back to the 2003-04 season. FMU did not attempt a free throw in the opening half, but made 9-of-14 in the final 13 minutes. The Patriots also enjoyed a 42-18 advantage in points-in-the-paint.
FMU will travel to Americus, Ga., on Saturday to play PBC newcomer Georgia Southwestern State University in a 4 p.m. contest, while USCA entertains Georgia College & State University, the same day at 7:30 p.m.
1-17-07 7:50 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 85, USC AIKEN 78
USC AIKEN (6-11 , 1-4 PBC)
McMasters, Casey 8-15 2-2 25; Oguchi, Kingsley 6-13 4-6 18; Shephard,
Brandon 5-9 6-8 17; Oates, Theo 4-6 5-8 13; Brown, Mark 1-4 0-0 2; Gadomski,
Jakub 1-2 0-0 2; Leonard, Seth 0-2 1-2 1; Glover, Richard 0-1 0-0 0;
Flowers, Rashad 0-0 0-0 0; Taylor, Shawn 0-2 0-0 0; Pore, Darren 0-3 0-0 0.
Totals 25-57 18-26 78.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (4-11 , 1-4 PBC)
Dorsey, Raymond 10-12 3-4 23; Bishop, Dominic 9-16 2-3 21; Morley, Nate 3-5
0-0 9; Ashford, Kevin 4-7 1-2 9; Coakley, Akeene 3-3 0-1 8; Peterson,
Larnelle 2-3 0-0 6; Baker, Cortne' 1-4 3-4 5; Burton, Rodrick 1-3 0-0 2;
Lee, Artis 1-1 0-0 2; Hall, Daniel 0-0 0-0 0; Borojevich, Greg 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 34-54 9-14 85.
Halftime: Francis Marion 43 USC Aiken 30.
3-point goals-USC Aiken 10-26 (McMasters, Casey 7-12; Oguchi, Kingsley 2-5;
Shephard, Brandon 1-2; Leonard, Seth 0-1; Glover, Richard 0-1; Pore, Darren
0-2; Brown, Mark 0-3), Francis Marion University 8-17 (Morley, Nate 3-5;
Coakley, Akeene 2-2; Peterson, Larnelle 2-3; Bishop, Dominic 1-5; Baker,
Cortne' 0-2). Fouled out--USC Aiken-Oguchi, Kingsley, Francis Marion
University-Peterson, Larnelle. Rebounds-USC Aiken 31 (Oates, Theo 12),
Francis Marion University 29 (Morley, Nate 6; Dorsey, Raymond 6).
Assists-USC Aiken 12 (Oguchi, Kingsley 4), Francis Marion University 27
(Bishop, Dominic 7). Total fouls-USC Aiken 17, Francis Marion University 22.
A-575
