FLORENCE, SC – With a chance to win the Peach Belt Conference regular-season title, 23rd-ranked Francis Marion University could not hold an 11-point halftime lead and lost at Armstrong Atlantic State University 78-65, Wednesday night (Feb. 27) in women’s action.

Even with the loss, Francis Marion (20-6, 13-6) clinches at least a share of the regular-season crown.  The Patriots, who still own a one-game lead in the conference standings, can win the championship outright with a victory on Saturday when FMU hosts Clayton State University for a 2 p.m. Homecoming contest.  Clayton State is one of five squads tied for second place in the PBC at 12-7.

Junior guard Kevina Ransom led FMU with16 points, while Brittany Young and Ebony Allen scored 13 and 11 points respectively.  However, Young and Allen did not score in a second half that saw the nation’s leading offense outscored 49-25.

Center Kaneetha Gordon paced AASU (17-9, 11-8) with 29 points and 17 rebounds.  She was 11 of 15 at the free throw line as the Lady Pirates hit 27 of 40 charity tosses, including 20 of 28 in the second half.

Francis Marion finished the evening 7-of-15 at the stripe.

FMU trailed only once in the first stanza and left the floor at halftime holding a 40-29 advantage.  A layup by Ransom increased that lead to 42-29 early in the second half.  Holding a 46-34 lead with 14:02 remaining, Francis Marion was outscored 27-8 over the next eight minutes.

The Patriots cut the deficit to 59-56 on a jumper by Yasmean Dixon with 5:57 left, but AASU ran off eight straight points and was not threatened again.

2-27-08 5:30 p.m. at Savannah, Ga. (Alumni Arena)
ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC 78, #23 FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 65

FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (20-6, 13-6 PBC)
Ransom, Kevina 6-15 3-7 16; Young, Brittany 6-9 0-2 13; Allen, Ebony 3-8 4-4
11; Singleton-Bates, Sha 4-6 0-0 8; Dixon, Yasmean 3-6 0-2 6; Ruff, Evelyn
2-4 0-0 5; Singletary,Creshenda 2-5 0-0 4; Grayson, Rita 1-4 0-0 2; Marsh,
Kirby 0-0 0-0 0; Dyer, Jennifer 0-9 0-0 0; Downer, Shonelle 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 27-66 7-15 65.
ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC (17-9, 11-8 PBC)
Gordon, Kaneetha 9-17 11-15 29; Griffin, Alandris 7-9 3-6 17; Herron,
Jasmine 2-6 6-6 10; Willis, Lacey 4-9 1-2 9; Versluis, Kelly 2-8 2-5 6;
Holmes, Lindsey 1-3 2-2 5; Thomas, Dartayvia 0-5 2-4 2; Lieneman, Lindsay
0-4 0-0 0; Raatelsami, Laura 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-61 27-40 78.
Halftime: Francis Marion 40  AASU 29
3-point goals-Francis Marion University 4-18 (Allen, Ebony 1-2; Young,
Brittany 1-1; Ransom, Kevina 1-6; Ruff, Evelyn 1-1; Dyer, Jennifer 0-5;
Singletary,Creshenda 0-3), Armstrong Atlantic 1-7 (Holmes, Lindsey 1-3;
Herron, Jasmine 0-1; Lieneman, Lindsay 0-3). Fouled out--Francis Marion
University-Grayson, Rita; Singleton-Bates, Sha; Young, Brittany;
Singletary,Creshenda, Armstrong Atlantic-None. Rebounds-Francis Marion
University 34 (Allen, Ebony 8), Armstrong Atlantic 52 (Gordon, Kaneetha 17).
Assists-Francis Marion University 12 (Ransom, Kevina 5), Armstrong Atlantic
13 (Herron, Jasmine 3; Willis, Lacey 3). Total fouls-Francis Marion
University 30, Armstrong Atlantic 15. A-458