Box Score Eckerd-Francis Marion Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Shannon Singleton-Bates and Courtney Mealing combined for 42 points to help Francis Marion escape with a 75-66 overtime win over the Eckerd College women's basketball team on Friday at the McArthur Center.
Singleton-Bates scored 22 points, including 15 after the first half, to lead the Patriots (5-2). Mealing had 20 points and hit a crucial 3-pointer in overtime to hand FMU its fifth win in seven outings.
Ashley Lutz scored a season-high 22 points to lead Eckerd (7-3). The senior guard was 10-for-20 from the field and had four steals. Krystal Charles continued her strong December with 14 points and nine rebounds.
Tijana Brdar also had 11 points, six rebounds and five blocks.
The game, which saw neither team hold a lead greater than eight points in regulation, was tense in the final seconds of the second half.
Trailing 59-58, FMU's Robin Colbert hit a 12-foot jumper with 4.4 seconds left to give the Patriots a 60-59 lead. Colbert, though, was whistled for a foul on EC's Taylor Young with 2.8 seconds remaining.
Young made the first free throw – eventually sending the Tritons to their first overtime game of the year.
The Patriots, though, shot 62 percent in the extra frame (5-for-8 from the field). The big shot came from Mealing, whose 3-pointer with 2:09 remaining gave FMU a 67-64 lead.
After Brdar cut the deficit to 67-66 with a layup, Singleton-Bates scored the next five points to give the Patriots a commanding six-point lead with 40.7 seconds left.
Eckerd will break for the holidays and return to the McArthur Center on Jan. 2 against Barry. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
