Patriot Women win home opener 101-63 over Morris

FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore guard Courtney Mealing recorded her second straight 20-point game to lead Francis Marion University to a relatively easy 101-63 victory over Morris College, Tuesday evening (Nov. 23) in the Patriot women's home opener for 2010-11.

Francis Marion improves to 2-0 with its ninth win in 10 all-time meetings with the Hornets.

Mealing followed-up her 29-point outing in a road win at Fayetteville State University with 20 points on Tuesday.  Senior Shannon Singleton-Bates scored 17 points, while senior reserve point guard Monica Mann scored 16, starting point guard Robin Colbert 15, and junior center Kendra Bothof 11 (on 5-of-5 shooting).  Colbert also led FMU with seven rebounds, and both her and Singleton-Bates recorded seven steals apiece.

Singleton-Bates moved into sole possession of 17th place on the Patriot career scoring list with 1,251 points.

All 10 Patriots who saw action scored.

Junior 6-1 forward Erica Wilkerson came off the Morris (1-8) bench to score 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds.  Junior forward Shaniqua Campbell scored 10 points and hauled down a game-high 11 rebounds.

FMU broke an early 6-6 deadlock with an 8-0 spurt.  The margin would gradually grow to 55-28 at halftime.

Francis Marion forced 45 Morris turnovers and led 55-13 in points-off-turnovers.

Both squads shot near 45 percent from the floor, but the Patriots were 33-of-45 at the free throw line compared to the Hornets’ 8-of-17.

Francis Marion will play host to King College on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m.