Griffins Fall Against No. 23 John Brown

BABSON PARK, Fla.—The Fontbonne University men's basketball team looked for an upset win against NAIA No. 23 ranked, John Brown University, but it was the Golden Eagles coming away with the 76-60 victory.

The Griffins (4-6), shot 41.2 percent from the floor, but had its struggles from the free throw line going 12-of-25 (48.0 percent).

Individually, Luke DeLine led with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Ian Cochran posted a career-high 12 points, while Gus Kleekamp led them on the glass with a team-high nine boards.

The Golden Eagles (10-3), shot 44.6 percent from the floor and controlled the glass with a 42-32 advantage. The team had four players in double-figures and they were led by Luke Harper off the bench going 5-of-12 for a game-high 15 points.

Josh Bowling netted 14, while Rokas Grabliauskas and Brenton Toussaint had 13 and 12 points, respectively.

In the first, Cochran put the Griffins down 13-10 at the 14:47 mark after he earned the old-fashioned 3-point play. In three minutes time, though the Golden Eagles went on a 14-4 run to expand its advantage out to 27-14.

JBU, who shot 45.2 percent in the first half, including 41.2 percent from downtown, drained its seventh 3-pointer of the half with 5:35 to go and that put them out front 39-18.

Fontbonne kept battling and closed out the final minutes on an 8-4 run to trim the deficit down to 43-26 at the break.

After shooting 38.5 percent and totaling 13 rebounds in the first, the Griffins bounced back in the second half shooting an improved 44.0 percent and pulling down 18 boards.

With 13:58 remaining, the Griffins trailed 49-34 after Kleekamp made his jumper. The Golden Eagles, however, expanded its lead back out to 21 (64-43) on Harper's two made free throws with just over nine minutes remaining.

Fontbonne got it down to a 15-point (71-56) on Jared Woodcock's 3-pointer, but JBU went 3-of-4 from the line and made its lone attempt from the field in the final three minutes to go on for the 16-point win.

The team looks to halt its three game slide tomorrow against host Webber International. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.

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