Box Score
ST. AUGUSTINE – Evrik Gary scored a career-high 32 points to help Francis Marion University hold off a stubborn Flagler College team 87-82 in a Peach Belt Conference men's basketball game Wednesday night at Flagler Gymnasium.
Francis Marion extends its winning streak to two games and improved to 8-6 overall and 4-3 in the Peach Belt. Flagler suffered its seventh consecutive loss and fell to 6-8 overall and 0-7 in conference play.
Gary scored 18 of his 32 points in the first half alone and his perfect 5-for-5 night from behind the arc tied the school's record for long-range accuracy. He sank four 3-pointers within the first 7:44 with the last one in the spurt giving the Patriots a 21-7 lead. He made 11-of-13 from the free throw line.
Zamarius McLendon added 18 points and five assists while Liki Turner tacked on 10 points and five rebounds, but was limited in minutes due to foul trouble. Andrew Smith grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and blocked a game-high six shots.
The Patriots shot 51.9% (14-27) from the field in the first half alone and finished the game at 48.1% (25-52). Francis Marion made 29-of-its-36 free throw attempts.
Ante Gospic (Zadar, Croatia, Polk State College) scored a season-high 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. He sank 10-of-11 free throws. Gospic completed the double-double with a game-high 10 rebounds.
Ryan Barnes (Oviedo, Fla., Newberry College) added 17 points and sank five 3-pointers.
Matt Clark (St. Augustine, Fla., St. Augustine HS) tacked on 11 points while
Addison Smith (West Palm Beach, Fla., College of Central Florida) contributed 10 points, nine assists and five rebounds for the Saints.
Flagler out-rebounded Francis Marion 42-39 and grabbed 22 offensive rebounds which led to 21 second chance points. The Saints also forced 16 Patriot turnovers and converted those into 22 points.
A Gospic hook shot got the Saints back into the game, 21-15, with 9:26 left in the first half. But the Patriots would sink six free throws in a row, four by Gary and two by Turner, to pull away to a 31-19 lead.
Francis Marion held a 47-33 lead at the break.
Trailing by as many as 16 (76-60) late in the second half, Flagler mounted a comeback. Clark ignited a 17-6 run by the Saints which trimmed the Patriot lead down to five (82-77) with 1:38 left. Clark made the second of two free throws to cap the run. A Smith layup with two seconds left got Flagler to within three (85-82), but the Saints could not get any closer.
Flagler will travel to Columbus State University on Saturday (Jan. 14) for a 3:30 p.m. Peach Belt Conference tilt.
Francis Marion vs Flagler
01/11/12 7:45 p.m. at St. Augustine, Fla. (Flagler Gym)
At St. Augustine, Fla. (Flagler Gym)
FRANCIS MARION 87, FLAGLER 82
FRANCIS MARION (8-6, 4-3 PBC)
Evrik Gary 8-15 11-13 32; Zamarius McLendon 6-9 5-9 18; Liki Turner 2-4 6-6
10; Marcus Wright 3-8 2-2 9; Marcel Williams 2-2 3-4 7; Andrew Smith 3-8 0-0
6; Darryn Frazier 1-4 2-2 5; Maurice Grant 0-1 0-0 0; Derek Hosey 0-1 0-0 0;
Clayton Williams 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-52 29-36 87.
FLAGLER (6-8, 0-7 PBC)
Ante Gospic 9-14 10-11 29;
Ryan Barnes 6-15 0-0 17;
Matt Clark 3-18 2-4 11;
Addison Smith 4-9 2-5 10;
Jarrod Branco 2-9 2-4 7;
Desmond Gibson 3-5 0-0 6;
Jordan Warner 1-1 0-3 2;
Justin Stokes 0-1 0-0 0;
Elijah Hayes 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 28-72 16-27 82.
Francis Marion................ 47 40 - 87
Flagler....................... 33 49 - 82
3-point goals--Francis Marion 8-14 (Evrik Gary 5-5; Darryn Frazier 1-3;
Marcus Wright 1-4; Zamarius McLendon 1-1; Liki Turner 0-1), Flagler 10-30
(
Ryan Barnes 5-12;
Matt Clark 3-12;
Ante Gospic 1-1;
Jarrod Branco 1-4;
Addison Smith 0-1). Fouled out--Francis Marion-Andrew Smith, Flagler-Ryan
Barnes. Rebounds--Francis Marion 39 (Andrew Smith 9), Flagler 42 (Ante
Gospic 10). Assists--Francis Marion 16 (Zamarius McLendon 5), Flagler 20
(
Addison Smith 9). Total fouls--Francis Marion 22, Flagler 23. Technical
fouls--Francis Marion-None, Flagler-None. A-403
