Saturday, February 10, 2007

SAINTS END PEACH BELT SKID ON THE ROAD
Anderson scores 20+ points in victory

Florence, SC - North Georgia College & State University ended their Peach Belt Conference losing streak, defeating Francis Marion 64-61 here Saturday afternoon.

With the score tied at 50-50, the Saints used the inside combination of Ryan Franklin and Anthony Rowe and the quick hands of Jakirra Millsap to ease their way to victory.

Following a free throw by Francis Marion to go up 51-50, Franklin hit a lay-up with 2:50 remaining to give the Saints a 52-51 lead - one that that would not relinquish. The senior added another lay-up 69 seconds later to give the Saints a 54-51 lead with 1:41 remaining.

After a Kevin Ashford lay-up trimmed the lead to 54-53, Rowe answered with his own lay-up to push the lead to 56-53 with 1:01 remaining. He converted a three-point play and the Saints took a four-point lead with less than a minute remaining.

Neither team scored for the next 23 seconds, until Millsap converted on one-of-two free throws to give the Saints a 58-53 lead. Francis Marion chipped into the lead when Nate Morley hit a three-pointer with 32 seconds remaining, trimming the lead to 58-56. Millsap hit two more free throws just two seconds later, and the Saints were back up by four points.

After a lay-up by Francis Marion, Jay Anderson - the leading free throw shooter in the Peach Belt - stepped to the line and drained two to give the Saints a four-point lead, 62-58 with 17 seconds remaining.

Dominic Bishop hit a three-pointer for the Patriots with just 10 seconds to go, trimming the lead to 62-61, before Anderson and Millsap hit two free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

Millsap stole the ball from Bishop with just one second on the clock to preserve the victory.

The victory is the first for the Saints since losing two of their leading scorers on the Christmas break due to injury.

Anderson led the Saints with 24 points, while Frankin added 15. Rowe and Millsap each added 10 in the victory.

Raymond Dorsey led Francis Marion (7-15, 4-8 PBC) with 18 points, while Ashford finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Bishop finished the day with 15 in the loss.

North Georgia (5-19, 1-2 PBC) returns to action Saturday, hosting nationally-ranked Clayton State.

- NGCSU-

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