ST. AUGUSTINE – Tori Pearce scored a game-high 20 points as Flagler College defeated Francis Marion University 89-76 in a mutual Peach Belt Conference women's basketball opener Wednesday afternoon at Flagler Gymnasium.

The Saints improved to 2-1 overall while Francis Marion dropped to 0-2.

"This was a great team win against a very good and well-coached Francis Marion team," said head coach Mo Smith. "I was proud of the ladies fight on the defensive end of the floor, especially at times where we needed critical stops. Our bench play was phenomenal on both ends of the floor. We are happy to get a win at the house to start conference play."

Flagler led for nearly the entire game and used a 14-2 run in the second quarter to break open a three-point (21-18) game. Staci Miller's transition three-pointer closed the run and gave the Saints their largest lead of the game, 35-20, with 4:21 left in the second quarter.

The Patriots could not get any closer than four points (50-46) for the remainder of the game. That came on a Jasmine Stanley basket with five minutes left in the third quarter.

Pearce scored 14-of-her-20 points in the final two quarters. She made 8-of-10 from the field, added three assists, and two steals. N'Mya Pierce contributed 19 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Miller came off the bench to provide a career-high 19 points and tacked on six rebounds. Monique Bryant had a pair of career-highs with 13 points and seven rebounds.

The Saints made 19-of-26 from the free throw line and went 11-of-12 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter alone. Flagler dominated in the paint outscoring Francis Marion 48-22. The Saints shot 56.1 percent from the floor in the game.

Kiana Adderton led the Patriots with 17 points while Ravyn Madaris added 12 more in a reserve role. Stanley recorded a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Jasmyne May chipped in with 11 points.

There will be a release tomorrow in regards to Flagler's next game. Please check flaglerathletics.com for all schedule updates.   

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