In Friday’s opening contest, UNC Pembroke never trailed en route to an 85-68 win over St. Andrews Presbyterian College. Wilson High School product and Florence native Shahmel Brackett led the Braves (2-1) with 22 points, while 6-9 center George Blakeney added 20 points and seven rebounds. Guard Michael Dunkins paced St. Andrews (0-2) with 15 points.
Francis Marion will face St. Andrews on Saturday at 8 p.m., while UNCP and Coker will square off at 6 p.m.
Boyd, a pre-season honorable mention All-American, also blocked four shots and came up with five steals. He connected on 8-of-12 shots from the floor. Gary nailed 5-of-7 three-point attempts, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out three assists while committing only one turnover in 39 minutes of action.
Francis Marion (2-0) never trailed in its contest. Tied at 12-12, Gary and Boyd combined for 12 points in a 21-3 Patriot run. The Patriots led 42-29 at intermission.
The Cobras closed to within 44-34 following a three-point play by Tom Wright only four minutes into the second stanza. That would be as close as Coker would get as Francis Marion gradually pulled away. The Patriots led 70-45 after a David Turner jumper in the lane with 8:11 remaining.
Senior 6-7 forward Liam Kyle led Coker (1-1) with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Wright scored 15 and Delonte Doles tallied 10 points and eight assists.
Both teams shot in the mid-40s, but FMU hit 6-of-15 three-pointers, while Coker was 2-of-10 from long-range. The Patriots also hit 72.7 percent (16-of-22) from the foul line compared to Coker’s 56.7 percent (17-of-30).
Francis Marion now owns a 43-11 lead in the series with its Hartsville neighbor, and the Patriots have won the last four meetings and nine of 10.
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