On Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, the FMU lady Patriots took to the hardwood for the final time this season at the Smith University Center.

The crowd was jumping, and coach Jay Sparks tried to ignite his team and lead them to a victory over the USC Aiken Pacers. It looked as if the lady Pats were going to pull through for all the fans came out to support their team furing homecoming. Their efforts fell short in the end as the Pacers came out on top with a final score of 74-60.

Cy’erra Mills, a guard for FMU and the lone senior on the roster, was honored before the start as she waved goodbye to the hometown crowd for the last time. She tallied 12 points during the game. Her teammate, Khayani Chandler, led the team with 15 points, and freshmen forward Briana Burgins rallied 12 rebounds.

The Patriots started out on top as they outpaced the Pacers with a 28-13 lead. It was a nice and dandy frolic through the flowers for the lady Patriots until the Pacers hit them with a huge run to cut the lead down to only two points. The cheers silenced and the fingernail biting began as the game intensified. The Pacers continued to keep the crowd silent as they took the lead at the half with 38-36.

It was a close first half where both teams were throwing their toughest blows. The Patriots were expected to come out hard and ready to regain the lead, but instead, the Pacers were the ones that put on a clinic. The game remained close but not for long. The Pacers scored 13 points, and they kept the lead at double digits for the remainder of the game. USC Aiken not only broke the hearts of the FMU fans, but they also broke the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) record for the most three point shots made in a game. They connected on 17 of 32 attempts from behind the arc.

With this loss, the lady Patriots were eliminated from PBC tournament. They finished up their season Wednesday night at UNC Pembroke where they fell to the Braves for the second time this season. Sparks finished his first season with an 8-20 record.