Dahlonega, GA – North Georgia College & State University used a three-point play by Jay Anderson with 9.8 remaining to give the Saints the lead for good en route to a 78-75 win over Francis Marion University, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 24) in the regular-season finale for both squads.

FMU ends its first regular season under coach Gary Edwards at 9-18 overall and 5-11 in the Peach Belt Conference. The Patriots will have to wait until Sunday's UNC Pembroke/USC Upstate match-up is complete to know if they will finish third in the PBC's North Division and receive a first-round bye in this week's conference tournament, or if they will place fourth and play a first-round game on Wednesday in Greenwood, S.C. 

Senior forward Raymond Dorsey led the Patriots with 24 points and nine rebounds, while senior guard Dominic Bishop tallied 18 points and seven rebounds.

Francis Marion led by as much as seven (9-2) in the first half off a three-pointer by Bishop with 16:21 left.  Anderson would soon spark a 10-0 run by the Saints with a jumper off the pass from Jakirra Millsap. Over the next five minutes, the home team used a combination of jumpers by Anthony Rowe, Ryan Franklin, a break away dunk by Anderson, and two free throws by Franklin to take its first lead of the game at 12-11 with 11:16 remaining in the half.

The Patriots would take the lead briefly at 15-12 on a jumper by Dorsey and two free-throws by Bishop. The Saints would once answer with a run of their own starting with a lay-up by Rowe with 9:55 remaining. North Georgia would score the next 16 points, capped by a pair of free throws from Anderson, to take a 28-15 advantage. With 2:42 on the clock, FMU's Edwards was tossed from the game for arguing a call, and Saints took advantage with a four-point swing from the free throw line. North Georgia would lead by as many as 21 in the first stanza and would take a 45-24 lead into the break.

The Patriots came out firing in the second half with a jumper from Bishop that sparked the visitors. Seven minutes later, a running lay-up by Rodrick Burton capped an 18-5 scoring run and cut the Saints lead to just eight with the score 50-42. North Georgia fought to hang onto the lead, but finally relinquished the advantage on a three-pointer by FMU freshman Cortne' Baker with just 3:10 remaining in the contest.

The Patriots led by as much as four at 75-71 with 58 seconds left, before Anderson went to work. He would complete two three-point plays in the final minute, with the second one giving the Saints the lead for good at 77-75 with 9.8 remaining. Rowe would knock down a free throw in the final seconds to seal the 78-75 when FMU was unable to get off a shot to tie the contest. 

Anderson led all scorers with 25 points going 8-18 from the field. Rowe was right behind his teammate with 23 points and 14 rebounds.