FLORENCE, SC – Senior guard Corey Johnson hit a pair of free throws with 5.4 seconds remaining and Armstrong Atlantic State University survived a last-second three-point attempt by Francis Marion University that was just short to claim a hard-fought 60-58 win, Monday night (Feb. 4) in Peach Belt Conference men’s action.
Francis Marion junior guard Houston Power tied the game at 58-58 on a three-pointer with 29 ticks left. Following an AASU timeout, Johnson drove to his left and was fouled 15 feet from the hoop. He made both free throws. FMU then inbounded the ball and raced up the floor, but Power’s potential game-winning shot from the right side was just short as the final horn sounded.
With its second-straight heartbreaking loss, Francis Marion falls to 8-10 overall and 2-9 in the PBC. AASU ups its record to 12-7 overall and evens its Peach Belt mark at 6-6 as the Pirates defeat the Patriots for the seventh consecutive time.
FMU freshman forward Simel Boyd improved upon his career high for the second straight contest as the 6-4 Ridgeville native tossed in 14 points, while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. Power added 13 points.
Johnson paced AASU with 18 points and four assists, while reserve center Patrick Sanou tallied 11 points.
Despite trailing early, Francis Marion closed out the first half with a 16-7 spurt to carry a 26-24 advantage into the locker room. Sophomore 5-7 guard Cortne’ Baker provided the margin with a layup one second before the buzzer.
After one tie early in the second stanza, FMU built a 50-42 lead with 8:02 remaining. However, the Patriots would commit seven turnovers and only attempt five more shots (making two) in the final eight minutes. Meanwhile, AASU rallied with a 15-3 run, taking a 54-53 lead on a fast-break slam dunk by Calvin Wilson at the 2:08 mark.
A three-point play by Johnson put the Pirates up 57-53, but Power scored on a layup to trim the margin to 57-55. After one free throw by the Pirates’ William Kane with 47 seconds on the clock, Power knotted the score with his three-pointer.
FMU shot 46.8 percent from the field, but for the fifth time in the past six games the Patriots made less than 10 free throws (9-of-13). AASU was 18-of-25 from the stripe and committed only 11 turnovers.
Francis Marion plays at nationally ranked USC Aiken on Wednesday at 7:30, while AASU hosts Georgia Southwestern State University on the same evening at the same time.
2-4-08 7:55 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC STATE UNIV. 60, FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 58
ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC STATE UNIV. (12-7 , 6-6)
Johnson, Corey 5-13 6-7 18; Sanou, Patrick 3-7 5-7 11; Galloway, Jamaal 3-6
0-0 8; Wilson, Calvin 4-5 0-0 8; Kane, William 1-3 4-7 7; Hall, T.T. 1-7 1-2
4; Brown, Franchot 1-2 0-0 2; Ancrum, Bobby 0-1 2-2 2; Webber, Andrew 0-0
0-0 0; Moultrie, Brian 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-44 18-25 60.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (8-10 , 2-9)
Boyd, Simel 5-8 2-2 14; Power, Houston 5-11 1-2 13; Jones, Crayton 3-3 2-5
8; Baker, Cortne' 3-4 2-2 8; Carter, Ziyadah 3-13 2-2 8; Turner, David 2-5
0-0 4; Clark, Kevin 1-1 0-0 3; Smith, Sam 0-0 0-0 0; Burton, Rodrick 0-2 0-0
0; Morley, Nate 0-0 0-0 0; Laney, Michael 0-0 0-0 0; Stiglbauer, Carter 0-0
0-0 0. Totals 22-47 9-13 58.
Halftime: Francis Marion 26 Armstrong Atlantic State 24.
3-point goals-Armstrong Atlantic State Univ. 6-17 (Galloway, Jamaal 2-4;
Johnson, Corey 2-7; Hall, T.T. 1-3; Kane, William 1-3), Francis Marion
University 5-16 (Power, Houston 2-7; Boyd, Simel 2-3; Clark, Kevin 1-1;
Carter, Ziyadah 0-3; Turner, David 0-2). Fouled out--Armstrong Atlantic
State Univ.-None, Francis Marion University-Clark, Kevin. Rebounds-Armstrong
Atlantic State Univ. 27 (Wilson, Calvin 5; Brown, Franchot 5), Francis
Marion University 27 (Boyd, Simel 7). Assists-Armstrong Atlantic State Univ.
10 (Johnson, Corey 4), Francis Marion University 15 (Jones, Crayton 3;
Power, Houston 3; Clark, Kevin 3). Total fouls-Armstrong Atlantic State
Univ. 14, Francis Marion University 20. A-700
Charles drawn: Jones, Turner
