November 16, 2007

Boxscore

FLORENCE, S.C.—Junior Joseph Gripper (Charlotte, N.C.) scored 14 of his team-high 19 points in the second half, but a short runner by Houston Power with 15 seconds remaining lifted Francis Marion University to a 70-68 win over St. Andrews Presbyterian College in the Zaxby’s Peach Belt/Conference Carolinas Clazzic Friday night in the Smith University Center.

In the evening’s opening game, Armstrong Atlantic State University outlasted Coker College 75-73, thanks to a bucket by T.T. Hill with 4.7 ticks left. AASU and FMU will swap opponents on Saturday, with the Pirates playing St. Andrews at 6 p.m. and Francis Marion facing rival Coker at 8 p.m.

Junior 6-5 forward Ziyadah Carter paced FMU (1-0) with 15 points, while 6-7 freshman center David Turner added 12 points, 6-10 senior center Carter Stiglbauer 10, and Power 10. Power also handed out seven assists.

Gripper paced four St. Andrews (0-1) players in double figures with 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Sophomore guard Colby Poe, a native of Bennettsville, S.C. came off the Knights’ bench and tallied 16 points, while Marcus Hoke (Charlotte, N.C.) and Bradley Hippolyte (Brooklyn, N.Y.) each scored 11.

St. Andrews opened up with an early 14-10 lead after hitting four 3-pointers in the first five minutes. Freshman post Zack Garst (Huntersville, N.C.) was tagged for a pair of fouls in the first two minutes of the contest. Francis Marion took advantage and slowly built up a 10-point advantage and took a 36-8 lead into halftime.

Turner led the Patriots hitting all four of his shots in the opening 20 minutes including a pair from behind the arc for 10 points. FMU shot 50-percent in the first half.

St. Andrews gradually closed the gap in the second stanza and, using a 12-0 run, led 60-55 with 5:58 remaining. The rally included a trio of treys from Gripper, Poe, and Hoke. The Knights connected on 11-of-23 (47.8%) attempts from downtown.

A pair of Power free throws knotted the score at 66-66 with 1:53 on the clock. A basket by Kevin Clark put Francis Marion ahead, 68-66, but Hippolyte drained two free throws with 36 seconds left to again tie the score.

As FMU ran down the clock, Power drove toward the basket and made an off-balance shot to give the Patriots a 70-68 lead. Poe missed a potential game-winning three-pointer with nine seconds left and FMU point guard Crayton Jones rebounded the miss.

Junior Charles Phillips (Decatur, Ga.) tied Gripper with the Knights team-high of five assists while Poe had a game-high four 3-pointers.

Francis Marion connected on 52.8-percent of its field goal attempts, including 56-percent over the final 20 minutes. St. Andrews shot 50-percent from the floor, including 59.1% in the second half. Both squads pulled down 26 boards but the visitors committed more turnovers, 19-13.

NOTE: Release partially contributed by Francis Marion Sports Information Office