DAHLONEGA, Ga. – For the first time in program history, the Coker University women's basketball team picked up an NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament victory with a 58-50 win over Belmont Abbey on Friday.
The Cobras (27-5) will now face Carson-Newman in the regional semifinal game at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Shawnteanna Tillman led Coker with 14 points and five rebounds. Kamari Thompson had a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds to go with four blocked shots and Mya Wasswa finished with 11 points and seven boards.
Tillman was hot early in the first quarter for the Cobras, scoring two early three-pointers to have the Cobras up 8-4 about four minutes in. To further their lead, Kristynn Knight hit a jumper to put them up six at 12-6 around the 2:30 mark in the quarter. Belmont Abbey did not want to roll over just yet, ending the quarter on a 7-0 run to take the 13-12 lead heading into quarter number two.
The Crusaders hit another layup to start the quarter to cap their run at 9-0, but Wasswa responded with a shot of her own to stop the run and get them back within one at 15-14. This quarter was one with multiple lead changes and ties, with a tough battle between the competitors ensuing for the remainder of the period. There was never more than a two-point separation, with Courtney Taylor hitting a free-throw at the end of the quarter to give the Cobras a 24-23 lead heading into the locker room.
The first four minutes were more of this back-and-forth action. However, tied at 27 apiece, Tillman hit a big momentum three to give the Cobras a 30-27 lead. After Belmont Abbey took the lead back at 34-32, two huge back-to-back threes by McKaylee Allen and Tillman put the Cobras up four at 38-34, which brought them into the final period of play.
Buckets by Thompson, Allen, and Mariah Mitchem started off the fourth and gave the Cobras a 44-34 lead, capping off a twelve-point run for the squad. After some fight by the Crusaders team, they were able to bring it back within five with 1:07 remaining in the quarter, but the Cobras finished it off at the free-throw line to secure the historic victory.
Francis Marion's Kiara Croskey (0) goes up for a shot during Friday's 89-83 overtime loss to Columbus State in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament.
FMU's season
ends with OT loss
DAHLONEGA, Ga. – Francis Marion University received double-digit scoring from all five starters and the fourth-seeded Patriots rallied from a second-half deficit to force overtime, but FMU eventually lost to fifth-seeded Columbus State University 89-83 on Friday in the opening-round of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament.
Francis Marion ends its season with a 23-7 record, the team’s third consecutive 20-win campaign.
Senior forward Kiana Lee led FMU with 21 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. In the process the North Augusta native passed Cassandra Bishop for 20th place on the Patriot all-time scoring list with 1,256.
Junior Trinity Adams tallied 18 points and 13 rebounds to notch her seventh double-double of the year. Senior guard Jada Richards scored 14 points as did freshman point guard Kiara Croskey, who also handed out a team-high six assists. Sophomore center Trinity Delaney added 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Olonna Rawls paced Columbus State (21-8) with 30 points and eight rebounds, while Bre’Lyn Snipes registered 23 points and 10 rebounds.
Croskey forced the extra session when she drove to the basket and converted a three-point player with 29 seconds left in regulation to knot the game at 74-74. On the final possession, Rawls had a chance to win it for the Cougars, but her lay-up attempt hung on the rim before falling off.
In the extra session, a jumper by Delaney gave Francis Marion a 76-74 advantage. The lead would change hands several times before an inside hoop by Lee tied it at 80-80 with 1:29 on the clock. A three-point play by Rawls put Columbus State ahead for good, and four straight free throws by CSU over the next 25 seconds sealed the outcome.
Francis Marion connected on 44.7 percent of its field goal attempts and was 10-of-17 at the foul line. Columbus State shot 41.3 percent from the floor, including making 11 three-pointers, and was 16-of-21 at the free throw stripe.
The Patriots took an early 10-5 lead after a three-point play by Delaney. CSU quickly tied the contest with five straight points. The Cougars snapped a 12-12 deadlock with seven straight points and would hold a 21-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.
A fast-break lay-in by Lee to open the second-period scoring brought FMU to within 21-19. A second lay-up by Lee again cut the deficit to two (24-22), but CSU answered with a 5-0 run and would later stretch the margin to 33-26. Francis Marion rallied with six straight points, the final two on a jumper by Lee to trail 33-32 with 3:38 left before halftime.
Columbus State responded with a 13-5 spurt that produced a 46-37 lead and the Cougars would hold a 46-40 margin at halftime.
The Patriots would twice cut the lead to two in the third period, and eventually to a single point (60-59) as Adams scored on a lay-in to end the third quarter scoring.
Francis Marion finally regained the lead at 63-62 after two free throws by Croskey with 7:31 left. Two minutes later, Lee pushed the margin to 66-63 with a lay-up. CSU scored the next five points before Lee’s jumper in the paint knotted things at 68-68.
CSU’s Kristyn Goshay and Richards traded three-pointers before Snipes hit a three-pointer with 35 ticks on the clock to give CSU a 74-71 lead setting the stage for Croskey’s game-tying three-point play.
BASEBALL
FDTC blanks Fire Ants
FLORENCE − The Florence Darlington Tech baseball team earned an 8-0 victory over USC Sumter on Friday in the opening game of a three-game series.
The Stingers (21-7, 8-2 Region 10) will host the Fire Ants in a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. to complete the series.
Mike Joyce tossed all eight scoreless innings and allowed just four hits with four strikeouts and two walks to pick up the victory.
Patrick Evans went 2 for 4 at the plate including a home run and drove in three for Tech. Diego Garcia had three hits and collected three RBIs while Josh Campos and Devin Mitchell each had two hits.
Francis Marion 15
Belmont Abbey 9
BELMONT, N.C. – Senior second baseman Owen Taylor’s infield RBI-single snapped three scoreless innings and ignited a six-run fourth inning that Francis Marion University used to defeat Belmont Abbey College 15-9 in Conference Carolinas league action on Friday.
The Patriots (18-7, 8-5) will complete the three-game series against the Crusaders with a doubleheader that begins at 12 p.m. on Saturday in Belmont, N.C.
Junior center fielder Will Dorrell and junior third baseman Jimmy Koza each registered three hits and one RBI to lead the Patriots against Belmont Abbey (15-9, 8-5).
FMU senior designated hitter Noah Stout finished the game with two hits and three RBIs, while senior right fielder Austin Bunn, sophomore first baseman Charlie Bussey III, and Taylor chipped in two hits apiece.
Bunn (2) and senior left fielder Caleb Oakley (2) also combined for four of the team’s total 11 RBIs, followed by Bussey III and Taylor with one run driven in respectively.
Senior right-handed pitcher Daniel Barcena evens his record at 1-1 after completing five innings and allowing four hits, while fanning four batters.
Bunn started the fourth inning with a lead-off single through the left side and was followed up with another hit by Stout. With runners on first and third, Taylor hit an infield single that allowed Bunn to score and give Francis Marion a 1-0 lead.
With one out, back-to-back singles by Koza and Dorrell opened the score to 3-0 as two more runs crossed the plate. Bussey III drove in another run as he scored Koza from third. After batting all the way through the order, Bunn drove in the final two runs of the inning and put the Crusaders in a 6-0 deficit.
In the lower half of the frame, Belmont Abbey was able to cut the margin to 6-3.
The Patriots began the fifth inning with another leadoff single as Taylor singled to left field. A pair of hits and defensive miscues from the Crusaders scored both Taylor and Koza to widen the margin to 8-3. Francis Marion tacked on five more runs before the side was retired, three coming on a homer by Stout deep over the centerfield wall. The Patriots entered the bottom of the fifth inning in front 13-3.
The Crusaders attempted to cut the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning as three runs crossed home plate. Senior right-hander Danny Leo closed out the inning by striking out Connor Tucker and continuing to hold onto the Patriots’ seven-run lead.
FMU added its fourteenth run of the game as Oakley scored on a balk in the top of the seventh inning. In the top of the eighth frame, Oakley walked with the bases loaded up the margin to 15-6.
The Crusaders answered with a single run scored in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly to trim the margin back to 15-7. Before the final out was recorded in the bottom of the ninth, Belmont Abbey added on two additional runs.
Drew Stegura (3-1) was charged with the loss after pitching 4 1/3 innings and allowing 12 hits and nine runs.
MEN'S TENNIS
Francis Marion 5
Shorter 2
FLORENCE – Senior Harri Lloyd-Evans and freshman Diego Vega Espinosa each contributed two wins as Francis Marion University opened Conference Carolinas play with a 5-2 win over Shorter University on Friday in men’s tennis action.
Francis Marion improves to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play. The Patriots will play at Barton College on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
In doubles play, freshman Adrian Calvo Guerrero and Vega Espinosa were victorious 6-1 at the No. 3 position. After Shorter won the No. 1 doubles match 6-3, senior Austin Vienna teamed with Lloyd-Evans for a 6-4 win at the No. 2 spot that gave the doubles point to FMU for a 1-0 advantage.
In singles action, Lloyd-Evans upped the margin to 2-0 with 6-1, 6-2 victory at the No. 3 position. Vega Espinosa was victorious at No. 5 singles by a 6-4, 6-0 decision, while senior Martin Barbera provided the match-clinching point with a 7-5, 6-3 win at the top spot.
Freshman Miguel Maia accounted for the other FMU point with 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles.
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Francis Marion 6
Shorter 1
FLORENCE – Senior Kim Venghaus registered a pair of wins, as did three freshmen, as Francis Marion University defeated Shorter University 6-1 on Friday in Conference Carolinas women’s tennis play.
Francis Marion evens its overall mark at 3-3 overall and is 1-0 in conference play. The Patriots will play at Barton College on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Francis Marion swept all three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead. Senior Sophia Hansen and junior Natasha Beader won 6-1 at the No. 3 position, while Venghaus and freshman Maia Warlies were victorious 6-2 at No. 2 and freshmen Lara Lanno and Valery Gomez won 6-4 at the top spot.
Wins by Venghaus (6-1, 6-0) and Warlies (6-0, 6-2) at the No .6 and No. 4 singles positions gave Francis Marion a 3-0 advantage.
Shorter trimmed the margin to 3-1 with a win at No. 2 singles. However, Patriot junior Lian Timmermans provided the match-clinching point with a 6-0, 6-1 victory at the No. 5 spot.
Gomez (6-1, 6-1) and Lanno (6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 1-0 (11-9)) accounted for the other Francis Marion points with wins at No.3 and No. 1 positions.
Coker 4
UVA-Wise 1
WISE, Va. - The Coker women upped their winning streak to three matches with a victory over UVA-Wise on Friday.
The Cobras had a minor setback in doubles, falling on courts two and three to head into singles play down 1-0. However, a switch flipped once singles play rolled around.
Jade Bellegy was the first off with a dominant win on court one, tying this one up at 1-1. Tamara Macias came shortly after with another convincing win to make it 2-1 in favor of Coker. Two close sets for Salome Sierra didn't trouble her in the slightest, and she walked off the court with a straight-set victory to go up 3-1.
Finally, after losing in the first set, Emerson Banning turned it around and dominated in the second and third sets to clinch the 4-1 victory for the Cobras.
LATE THURSDAY
SOFTBALL
FDTC sweeps Indians
FLORENCE − The Florence-Darlington Tech softball team pushed its winning streak to four games Thursday with a doubleheader sweep of USC Salkehatchie.
The Stingers (12-10, 6-2 Region 10) won the opening game against the Indians by a 5-3 score before rolling to a 10-1 victory in the second contest.
Larissa Siders, Isabel Allen Hayleigh Atkinson and Savannah Sherman all collected two hits for Tech in the opening game, with all but Sherman driving in runs.
Mackenzie Kubas got the win in the circle after tossing a complete game and allowing no earned runs on six with nine strikeouts and two walks.
In Game 2, Zoei Hunt homered and drove in four runs for FDTC with Allen picking up three RBIs. Siders had three hits including a double while Sherman collected two hits including a double as well.
Hunt also picked up the win in the circle after giving up one run on two hits with three strikeouts.
The Stingers return to action Saturday at the Fast Pitch Dreams Classic tournament in Myrtle Beach. They will play Madison College at 11 a.m. and St. Charles Community College at 1 p.m.
MEN'S GOLF
June, Neuhaus
shine for Pats
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA – Junior Pake June and freshman Leander Neuhaus both fired career-low equaling rounds of 69 on Friday as Francis Marion University moved up two positions to seventh after the second round of the Peoples Championship at Sea Palms Resort.
The three-day, 54-hole event will conclude on Saturday at the par-71, 6,664-yard layout at the Sea Palms Resort.
Neuhaus’ round included an eagle on the 484-yard, par-5 fourth hole, the same hole that teammate Ryan Bozard eagled on Thursday.
Bozard shot a second-round 72 and is tied for 17th place in the players’ standings at one-under 141. Senior Xavier Schwarz also carded a 72 on Friday and is tied for 21st position, one stroke back at 142.
June, a native of Florence, and Neuhaus are tied for 28th position with a 36-hole score of 143.
Patriot sophomore Josh Dugard shot a 75 on Friday and is tied for 76th position at 149.
Francis Marion recorded a season-low team score of 282 and is in seventh at 569, only one stroke out of the top five.
UNC Greensboro continues to lead the team standings, now 15 strokes ahead of second-place Villanova University.
