Boyd's career night helps Patriots blow past Suns 106-64

FLORENCE, SC - Sophomore forward Simel Boyd registered career highs of 28 points and 18 rebounds as short-handed Francis Marion University blew past Florida Christian College 106-64, Tuesday evening (Dec. 16) in non-conference men's basketball action.

Francis Marion completes the pre-Christmas portion of its collegiate schedule with a perfect 8-0 mark, the best start since the 2003-04 squad opened 9-0 en route to a 27-4 mark and an NCAA Division II Sweet 16 appearance.  The Patriots will leave on Friday (Dec. 19) to travel to Amsterdam, Netherlands, to compete in the Amsterdam Haarlem Basketball Week.  FMU will play a minimum of three games against international competition Dec. 21-24.

Boyd, a native of Ridgeville, S.C., hit on 16-of-22 free throws tying the school record for attempts in a game and narrowly missing the mark for makes (18), both set by Dennis Sullen against Morris College on Feb. 25, 1976.

Following Boyd was 6-5 senior forward Sam Smith with 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting; and 6-7 senior center Kevin Clark, who recorded his fifth double-double of the season, and third straight, with 16 points and a career-high 17 rebounds.  Senior point guard Crayton Jones scored six points and handed out a career-high nine assists.

The Patriots played without the services of 6-9 senior center Stanley Jones and 6-7 junior forward Matt French, who were both kept out of the game for precautionary reasons with foot ailments.

Senior guard Shane Smarr led Florida Christian (4-11) with 25 points and six rebounds.  He scored 20 of his points in the second half while draining six three-pointers.  Freshman forward Geoffry Gillot added 17 points and four assists.

A three-pointer by Gillot gave the Suns an early 5-4 lead, but Francis Marion ran off 18 straight points, including eight each by Boyd and Smith, to lead 22-5 with 12:43 left in the first stanza.  FMU led 58-28 at intermission.

A three-pointer by Smarr trimmed the large margin to 24 points at 78-54 with 11:33 remaining, but a 16-0 Patriot spurt produced a 40-point margin (94-54) with 6:32 left on the clock.

For the second straight game, FMU committed single digit turnovers (9) and the Patriots led the Suns in points-off-turnovers 22-2.  A 57-33 rebounding advantage also helped FMU to a 32-7 edge in second-chance points.

12-16-08 5:30 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 106, FLORIDA CHRISTIAN COLLEGE 64

FLORIDA CHRISTIAN COLLEGE (4-11)
Shane Smarr 9-20 0-0 25; Geoffry Gillot 5-11 5-7 17; Darius Evans 3-6 1-2 7;
Ronald Williams 2-9 0-0 4; Jeremiah Brown 2-4 0-0 4; Joseph Lopez 2-3 0-0 4;
John Book 1-2 0-0 2; Robert Nichols 0-4 1-2 1; Kris Ferdinand 0-3 0-0 0;
Dave Thomas 0-4 0-0 0; Wesley Soto 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-66 7-11 64.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (8-0)
Boyd, Simel 6-13 16-22 28; Smith, Sam 9-16 6-6 25; Clark, Kevin 6-12 4-5 16;
Bjornsson, Brynjar 3-6 0-0 9; Robinson, Kendrick 3-8 0-0 9; Wallen, Anthony
2-8 2-2 7; Jones, Crayton 3-5 0-0 6; Power, Houston 2-3 0-0 4; Austin, Harry
1-7 0-0 2; Sinkler, Mark 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 35-82 28-35 106.
Halftime: Francis Marion 58 Florida Christian 28
3-point goals--Florida Christian College 9-34 (Shane Smarr 7-16; Geoffry
Gillot 2-7; Ronald Williams 0-4; Jeremiah Brown 0-1; Joseph Lopez 0-1;
Robert Nichols 0-2; Darius Evans 0-1; Kris Ferdinand 0-2), Francis Marion
University 8-23 (Robinson, Kendrick 3-5; Bjornsson, Brynjar 3-4; Smith, Sam
1-2; Wallen, Anthony 1-4; Austin, Harry 0-4; Sinkler, Mark 0-1; Power,
Houston 0-1; Clark, Kevin 0-2). Fouled out--Florida Christian College-Robert
Nichols; Ronald Williams, Francis Marion University-None. Rebounds--Florida
Christian College 33 (Shane Smarr 6), Francis Marion University 57 (Boyd,
Simel 18). Assists--Florida Christian College 13 (Ronald Williams 7),
Francis Marion University 24 (Jones, Crayton 9). Total fouls--Florida
Christian College 23, Francis Marion University 14. Technical fouls--Florida
Christian College-None, Francis Marion University-None. A-100