Box Score Box score

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. − #D.J. Ferguson# (Orlando, Fla./Bishop Moore HS) scored a game-high 18 points and handed out eight assists to lead Flagler College to a 72-63 win over Francis Marion University in a Peach Belt Conference East Division men's basketball game Wednesday night.

Flagler won its second consecutive game and improved to 11-15 overall and 6-11 in the Peach Belt Conference. Francis Marion dropped its second consecutive game and fell to 18-8 overall and 10-7 in the conference. With the win Flagler is in a tie for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East Division, tied with Armstrong Atlantic State University. AASU holds the tiebreaker as it split with current No. 2 team, USC Aiken, while Flagler lost both games. FMU damaged its hopes for hosting a quarterfinal game with the loss. The Patriots now sit in third place behind USC Aiken. Should FMU defeat AASU on Saturday, then the Patriots would be tied with the Pacers and the Patriots swept the Pacers this season, thus holding the tiebreaker.

The game was close throughout with six ties and seven lead changes.

Flagler used a 14-4 run near the mid-point of the second half to break open a three-point lead to a 54-41 spread with 9:26 left to go. David Clark (St. Augustine, Fla./Pedro Menendez HS) hit a key three-pointer which ignited the run and Jarrod Branco (Hudson, Fla./Hudson HS) added another triple about one minute and a half later.

Kenny Moore (Vero Beach, Fla./Vero Beach H) and Chad July (Fort White, Fla./Bridgton (Maine) Academy) each scored 12 points for the Saints. Moore grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Flagler's lone senior, Adam Dixon (Victoria, Australia/Lilydale HS), who was honored before the game, grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists in his last home game. 

Flagler shot 52% (13-25) from the field in the first half and shot an economical 47.7% (21-44) in the game.

David Turner scored a team-high 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting for the Patriots. Kaylan Anderson added 15 points while Simel Boyd grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.

FMU failed to make a three-pointer on 18 attempts and also struggled from the free throw line shooting 53.1% (17-32).

Flagler needs to defeat UNC Pembroke on Saturday (Feb. 27) at 3:30 p.m. on the road and hope Francis Marion defeats Armstrong Atlantic to punch its ticket to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament.

Francis Marion vs Flagler
02/24/10 8 p.m. at St. Augustine, FL
At St. Augustine, FL

FLAGLER 72, FRANCIS MARION 63

FRANCIS MARION (18-8, 10-7 PBC)
Turner, David 7-11 3-4 17; Anderson, Kaylan 6-12 3-7 15; Smith, Andrew 2-4
3-6 7; Boyd, Simel 2-13 1-1 5; Mains, Herman 2-5 1-2 5; Gullatte, Edward 1-4
2-3 4; Julious, Bryant 1-3 2-2 4; Candelaria, Mike 1-5 1-2 3; Robinson,
Kendrick 1-9 1-2 3; Petreikis, Mindaugas 0-0 0-1 0; Faulkner, Robert 0-5 0-2
0. Totals 23-71 17-32 63.

FLAGLER (11-15, 6-11 PBC)
Ferguson, D.J. 4-10 9-13 18; July, Chad 3-6 6-12 12; Moore, Kenny 5-6 2-2
12; Shuffler, Cody 2-4 3-4 7; Fowler, Eddie 2-8 2-2 7; Clark, David 2-4 1-2
6; Branco, Jarrod 1-3 2-2 5; Stokes, Justin 2-2 0-0 4; Dixon, Adam 0-1 1-2
1; McFarline, Andre 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-44 26-39 72.

Francis Marion................ 31 32 - 63
Flagler....................... 36 36 - 72

3-point goals--Francis Marion 0-18 (Turner, David 0-2; Anderson, Kaylan 0-2;
Boyd, Simel 0-1; Mains, Herman 0-2; Gullatte, Edward 0-1; Julious, Bryant
0-1; Candelaria, Mike 0-3; Robinson, Kendrick 0-5; Faulkner, Robert 0-1),
Flagler 4-13 (Fowler, Eddie 1-2; Branco, Jarrod 1-3; Ferguson, D.J. 1-4;
Clark, David 1-3; Shuffler, Cody 0-1). Fouled out--Francis Marion-Gullatte,
Edward; Smith, Andrew, Flagler-Stokes, Justin; Dixon, Adam.
Rebounds--Francis Marion 41 (Boyd, Simel 10), Flagler 42 (Moore, Kenny 9).
Assists--Francis Marion 15 (Gullatte, Edward 4; Boyd, Simel 4), Flagler 18
(Ferguson, D.J. 8). Total fouls--Francis Marion 28, Flagler 25. Technical
fouls--Francis Marion-None, Flagler-Stokes, Justin. A-1137