Lenoir-Rhyne, Tusculum Women Fall At Basketball Southeast Region Tournament

Hickory, N.C. - The No. 4 Francis Marion University Women's Basketball Team (27-4) used a 14-4 run over the first 5:20 of the second half to knock off top-seeded and host institution Lenoir-Rhyne University (27-5) by a 93-74 margin Saturday night at Shuford Memorial Gymnasium.

With the win, Francis Marion advances to the 2009 NCAA Division II Southeast Region Finals to face No. 3 Clayton State, who defeated second-seeded Tusculum, 79-68, in the first game of the night.

Lenoir-Rhyne got out to a 16-9 lead with 12:01 left in the first half but Francis Marion would start to chip away at the Bears lead until they took the lead for good at the 8:13 mark with the score 23-22. The Patriots outscored the Bears 20-12 over the rest of the half to go into the locker room with a 43-35 advantage.

After the break, FMU's 14-4 run to start the half put the game out of reach for L-R. The Patriots led by as much as 31 in the final 20:00, but the Bears scored 14 of the last 17 points of the game to draw the final margin to 19.

Bear freshman guard Cameron Sealey (Gastonia, N.C/East Gaston HS) led all scorers with 18 points and added five rebounds as well. High school teammates Amber Holt and LaCourtney Rann (Charlotte, N.C./Hopewell HS) each pitched in 13 points for Lenoir-Rhyne who shot just 35.6 percent (21-for-59) for the game.

Francis Marion was paced by Shannon Singleton-Bates (South Norwalk, Conn.) and Creshenda Singletary (Johnsonville, S.C.) with 15 points each while Kevina Ransom (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) put up 13 points, seven assists and five steals.

"We've accomplished a great amount this year," said Head Coach Todd Starkey. "This team, this school and this community has a lot to be proud of after this season. Our returning players know now what it's like to experience the NCAA tournament and they will be fired up to do great things next year as well."

Lenoir-Rhyne finishes the season with the second-highest win total in school history, equaling the 27 wins from the 1980-81 season when the team finished the year fourth in the country. The Bears' South Atlantic Conference Regular Season Championship and Food Lion SAC Tournament Title are both the second in school history and the first time both crowns have been won in the same season.

FRANCIS MARION 93, LENOIR-RHYNE 74
FRANCIS MARION (27-4)
Singletary, Creshenda 7-11 1-2 15; Singleton-Bates, Sha 6-9 3-3 15; Dyer, Jennifer 5-11 0-0 14; Ransom, Kevina 4-8 5-6 13; Powell, Dominique 5-7 2-3 12; Fields, Eboni 3-9 2-4 11; Colbert, Robin 3-4 0-1 6; Downs, Danelle 2-5 1-1 5; Franks, Shana 0-4 2-2 2; Wheatland, Keahna 0-0 0-0 0; Kiefer, Katherine 0-0 0-0 0; Howze, Tenisha 0-1 0-0 0; Ruff, Evelyn 0-1 0-0 0; Morgan, Shaquana 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 35-70 16-22 93.
LENOIR-RHYNE (27-5)
Sealey, Cameron 6-14 4-5 18; Holt, Amber 5-13 3-3 13; Rann, LaCourtney 2-6 9-11 13; Fulmer, Kristen 1-3 5-6 7; Webster, Meredith 2-3 0-0 6; Moore, Denise 0-0 4-4 4; Mitch, Brittany 2-7 0-1 4; Safrit, Jami 1-7 2-2 4; Conetta, Leslie 1-1 0-0 3; Hanner, Erin 1-1 0-0 2; Kremer, Jacquelyn 0-1 0-0 0; Williams, Jackie 0-0 0-0 0; Culler, Whitley 0-3 0-0 0; Munn, Abby 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-59 27-32 74.
Francis Marion................ 43 50 - 93
Lenoir-Rhyne.................. 35 39 - 74
3-point goals--Francis Marion 7-17 (Dyer, Jennifer 4-7; Fields, Eboni 3-8; Ruff, Evelyn 0-1; Singleton-Bates, Sha 0-1), Lenoir-Rhyne 5-20 (Webster, Meredith 2-3; Sealey, Cameron 2-4; Conetta, Leslie 1-1; Mitch, Brittany 0-3; Safrit, Jami 0-4; Rann, LaCourtney 0-1; Holt, Amber 0-4). Fouled out--Francis Marion-Singletary,Creshenda, Lenoir-Rhyne-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 42 (Powell, Dominique 8), Lenoir-Rhyne 39 (Moore, Denise 8). Assists--Francis Marion 19 (Ransom, Kevina 7), Lenoir-Rhyne 12 (Safrit, Jami 4). Total fouls--Francis Marion 28, Lenoir-Rhyne 21. Technical fouls--Francis Marion-None, Lenoir-Rhyne-Safrit, Jami. A-1220
2009 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Southeast Region Tournament
No. 1 Lenoir-Rhyne vs. No. 4 Francis Marion - Regional Semifinals

Clayton State 79, Tusculum 68

HICKORY, NC - Senior guard Marie St. Fort scored 19 points and the Clayton State University defense came up with 15 steals as the third-seeded Lady Lakers claimed a 79-68 win over second-seeded and 16th-ranked Tusculum College, Saturday evening (March 14) in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional women's basketball tournament.

Clayton State (25-6) advances to its third consecutive Sweet Sixteen and will face the Lenoir-Rhyne College/Francis Marion University winner in the regional title game on Monday night at 7 p.m. Tusculum ends its season at 26-6.

St. Fort also grabbed nine rebounds, while junior guard Lesheria Stevens tallied 14 points and six steals and senior center Shanrika Hardeman recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Brittany Hall added 12 points and Dominique Jennings 10.

Clayton State, second nationally in turnover margin, forced 21 Tusculum miscues which were converted into 25 points.

Sophomore 5-0 guard Jasmine Gunn paced Tusculum with 18 points, 12 of which came in the second half. Junior 5-11 forward Kat Spears scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Stephany Neptune chipped in 12 points.

Clayton State hit its first three three-point attempts to lead 11-4, and the Lady Lakers would never trail in the contest. A fourth three-pointer, this one by Dominique Jennings, would put Clayton State up 20-12 with 11:32 left in the half.

Tusculum rallied to tie the game at 27-27 on a three-point play by Spears with 5:46 remaining. The Lady Lakers' defense then came up with four steals resulting in an 8-2 run that produced a 35-29 lead. A 15-foot jumper by Stevens just before the halftime horn gave Clayton State a 39-34 advantage at intermission.

The squads traded baskets to open the second stanza, and following a stick-back by 6-8 center Catherine Hintz, the Pioneers still trailed by five at 52-47 with 13:36 left. Three-pointers by Jennings and St. Fort then sparked a 16-5 Clayton State run that put the Lady Lakers up 68-52 with 6:57 on the clock. St. Fort had eight total points in the spurt.

Tusculum would get no closer than 14 points until the final 65 seconds when the contest was already decided.

Although outshot from the field 50 percent to 47 percent, Clayton State hit 8-of-16 three-point attempts and committed only 12 turnovers.

CLAYTON STATE 79, TUSCULUM 68
CLAYTON STATE (25-6)
St. Fort, Marie 7-14 2-4 19; Stevens, Lesheria 6-10 2-2 14; Hardeman, Shanrika 6-12 1-4 13; Hall, Brittany 3-7 4-4 12; Jennings, Dominique 3-7 2-2 10; Pritchett, Nikkisha 2-3 0-0 5; Woodard, Tanisha 2-4 0-0 4; Jackson, Lisa 1-6 0-0 2; Jemison, Jene'e 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-64 11-16 79.
TUSCULUM (26-6)
Gunn, Jasmine 7-12 4-6 18; Spears, Kat 6-10 1-1 13; Neptune, Stephany 4-7 4-4 12; Van Dine, Nikki 3-6 0-0 9; Shank, Shantae 4-9 0-0 9; Oliver, Ashli 1-6 0-0 3; Parker, Jasmine 1-2 0-1 2; Hintz, Catherine 1-2 0-1 2; Oliver, Brittni 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-54 9-13 68.
Clayton State................. 39 40 - 79
Tusculum...................... 34 34 - 68
3-point goals--Clayton State 8-16 (St. Fort, Marie 3-4; Hall, Brittany 2-4; Jennings, Dominique 2-3; Pritchett, Nikkisha 1-1; Jackson, Lisa 0-3; Woodard, Tanisha 0-1), Tusculum 5-15 (Van Dine, Nikki 3-6; Oliver, Ashli 1-6; Shank, Shantae 1-2; Gunn, Jasmine 0-1). Fouled out--Clayton State-None, Tusculum-None. Rebounds--Clayton State 33 (Hardeman, Shanrika 10), Tusculum 34 (Spears, Kat 8). Assists--Clayton State 9 (Stevens, Lesheria 3), Tusculum 13 (Gunn, Jasmine 5). Total fouls--Clayton State 13, Tusculum 17. Technical fouls--Clayton State-None, Tusculum-None. A-335
2009 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Southeast Region Tournament
No. 2 Tusculum vs. No. 3 Clayton State - Regional Semifinals