GREENWOOD – Shannon Singleton-Bates posted a double-double as No. 15-ranked Francis Marion closed the game with a 36-17 run, outlasting Lander 98-80 in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action Monday night at Horne Arena.
Francis Marion improved to 22-1 overall and 15-1 in the Peach Belt. The Lady Bearcats fell to 15-8, 10-6.
Singleton-Bates led the Lady Patriots with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Creshenda Singletary added 18 points, Eboni Fields scored all 14 of her points in the second half, Shana Franks added 13 points, and Jennifer Dyer 11.
Francis Marion, leading the nation with 94 points per game, hit 33 of 40 free throws with Singletary making eight of 10.
Shannon McKever posted her 10th double-double of the season for Lander as she totaled 11 points and 12 rebounds while adding seven blocked shots. Brittni Johnson led the Lady Bearcats with 15 points while Brianna Webb added 12 points.
The Lady Bearcats shot only 33 percent from the field (24-for-73) and were plagued by several missed lay-ups.
Lander stormed out of the gates, racing to leads of 11-2 and 15-4 with Johnson scoring on two fast-break lay-ups, Jasmine Judge hitting a 3-pointer, and McKever and Kaylyn Small each scoring inside.
The Patriots stayed in the game early by making free throws because they missed 17 of their first 19 shots from the floor over the first eight-plus minutes. But they eventually heated up from the floor, sparking a 22-4 run that turned Francis Marion's 15-4 deficit into a 26-19 lead.
Singleton-Bates scored inside to give the Patriots their first lead, 21-19, with 10:33 left and Dyer capped the run with a 3-pointer for the 26-19 advantage at the 8:50 mark.
The Lady Bearcats closed the gap, cutting a 34-26 deficit with five unanswered points including two Johnson free throws, McKever's lay-up off Johnson's assist, and Judge's free throw to make it 34-31 with 3:23 to go.
But Francis Marion closed the half with a 10-4 run for a 44-35 halftime lead. Lander shot only 27 percent from the floor in the first half (10-for-37).
Ciara Lyons scored twice early in the second half, helping the Lady Bearcats close within four, 49-45. But Fields caught fire for the visitors, sinking three consecutive 3-pointers and a pair of free throws to extend Francis Marion's lead to 60-49.
Webb rallied Lander, scoring seven of the game's next nine points on a 3-pointer, a lay-up, and two free throws to pull the hosts within 60-58 with 12:24 left, then Johnson hit two free throws to tie the game at 60 with 11:28 to go.
The Lady Bearcats took their first lead of the second half, 63-62 at the 10:24 mark, when Johnson hit a lay-up off a long pass from Mukia Myrick, capping a 14-2 run for the hosts.
But Singleton-Bates scored six unanswered points and Francis Marion teammate Franks put back Kevina Ransom's missed free throw to cap an 11-2 spurt, giving the visitors a 73-65 lead with 7:10 to go. The Patriots would extend their lead into double digits as Franks hit two free throws to make it 84-71 with three minutes left. Lander got no closer than 11 points the rest of the way.
For the game, Francis Marion hit 30 of 78 shots from the floor (38 percent), 33 of 40 free throws (83 percent), and five of 14 from behind the 3-point line (36 percent). Lander made 24 of 73 shots, 29 of 40 free throws (73 percent), and three of 14 from behind the arc (21 percent). The Lady Bearcats had a 56-51 edge on the boards and committed 24 turnovers to Francis Marion's 17.
