Patriots Race Past Pirates, 74-69

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Francis Marion used a 15-0 run over a five and a half minute stretch in the second half to pull out a 74-69 Peach Belt Conference men's basketball victory over No. 12 Armstrong Atlantic State on Monday evening at Alumni Arena.

The Patriots (12-6, 5-6 PBC) won for just the second time in their last six games, while the Pirates (15-4, 8-4 PBC) lost back-to-back games for the first time this season, while also suffering its first loss to an unranked team in 2008-09.

Francis Marion took a three-point halftime lead thanks to the hot shooting of Anthony Wallen. Wallen hit for 16 first-half points, including 4-of-7 three-pointers, to stake the Patriots to the 41-38 advantage.

AASU came out hot in the second half, scoring on its first two possessions to take the lead, and eventually stretched that lead out to five, 55-50, on a basket by Calvin Wilson with 11:41 remaining. Over the next five and a half minutes, however, the Pirates would go 0-for-6 with five turnovers as Francis Marion surged ahead with a 15-0 run to take a 65-55 lead with 5:36 left.

The Pirates fought back and cut the lead to one, 67-66, on a Calvin Wilson basket with 2:35 remaining, but Francis Marion would seal the win with five of six free throws in the final 23 seconds.

Wallen finished the night with 22 points to lead all scorers for the Patriots, while Crayton Jones added 11 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Sam Smith chipped in 10 points as well for FMU.

Wilson led the Pirates, rebounding from a zero-point night at USC Aiken on Saturday with a team-high 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor, including one three-pointer, to go with four blocked shots and four steals. T.T. Hall chipped in 13 points, while Brian Moultrie and Dwight Tolbert each added 11 points.

The Pirates will try to end the two-game slide on Wednesday, February 4, with a 7:30 p.m. Peach Belt Conference contest at Georgia Southwestern State.