Junior Tavia Sykes scores, Junior Breonna O'Conner 16 in PBC loss

FRANCIS MARION, S.C. – The Augusta Jaguars had a six game win streak snapped at Francis Marion on Wednesday night in a 91-75 Peach Belt Conference loss to the Francis Marion Patriots.

The Jaguars (20-6, 13-4 PBC) were led by junior Tavia Sykes' 20 points off the bench and senior starter Breonna O'Conner's 16 points, four assists, and three steals and rebounds.

The Patriots (19-7, 10-7 PBC) had five players in double digits, two of which had more than 20 points. Alaysia Watts put up 24 points and 10 rebounds and Khayani Chandler 21 points and five boards.

The Jaguars shot 47.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range against an impressive 59.6 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range for Francis Marion. Sykes produced off the bench, going 8-10 from the floor and 2-2 from beyond the arc to lead the Jags in scoring on the night.

Both teams came out shooting strong in the game, with Augusta posting a 61.5 percent field goal percentage in the first quarter. It paled in comparison to FMU shooting 84.6 percent from the field. The teams traded blows in the first quarter, but the Patriots' strong shooting gave them a slight edge heading into the second.

The teams continued to trade offensive blows throughout the second quarter, with the Patriots maintaining their small lead until a defensive lapse by Augusta. With just under 4:00 to play in the first half, the Jags allowed Francis Marion to stretch their lead to nine. The Patriots would see their lead grow to as much as 13 before a couple of made jumpers by O'Conner closed the lead to 10 at the half.

FMU stretched their lead back to 13 under the 7:00 mark. That margin would be brief as a three-pointer by junior Kayla Lovett and a jumper O'Conner kicked off a 10-0 run that would cut the Patriots' lead down to just three, with the score 55-52.

Sophomore Joshlyn Belcher heated up from beyond the arc, hitting a couple crucial three-pointers under the 3:00 mark that kept the Jaguars close as the teams exchanged three-pointers.

The Patriots' shooting would not relent as they extended the lead out to nine once more heading into the fourth quarter.

The start of the fourth quarter saw the Patriots climb to a fifteen point lead, their largest of the night. The Jaguars slowly chipped away the lead to single digits and a three-pointer by Sykes at 4:37 cut the deficit to six. That was as close as the Jaguars would get, however, as Francis Marion closed the game on a 10-0 run and upset the Jaguars 91-75.

The Jags head to Lander on Saturday, Feb. 20 to take on the Bearcats at 1:30 p.m. in Greenwood, S.C.

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