Clark Hits Two Late Free Throws Securing The Griffins Seventh Straight Win

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—It was another wild finish inside the DSAC on Wednesday night for the Fontbonne University men's basketball team as two clutch free throws with just seconds remaining from Caden Clark secure the come-from-behind 67-66 win over Blackburn. The victory extends the winning streak out to seven which is its longest since the 2008-09 season.

Records

Blackburn (8-14; 7-4 SLIAC)

Fontbonne (13-5; 9-1 SLIAC)

Game Breakdown

It was a slow start offensively for both teams, but a layup from Dakarai White trimmed Fontbonne lead to 8-4 with 14:56 remaining. The Griffins answered with a 13-5 run over the next four minutes taking a 21-9 lead on Will Suellentrop's made jumper.

Blackburn kept battling as the clock ticked away and answered with a 16-2 run over the next eight minutes taking a 25-23 lead on Harrison Eliot's dunk.

With 2:14 remaining, the Beavers led 29-26, however, Kevin Anders came through with a 3-pointer to tie the game on the ensuing possession.

They were able to take the lead with just over a minute left on Anthony Jones' layup and headed into the locker room on top by two (31-29).

In the second half, the Beavers held a 35-33 lead at the 16:48 mark on Jarrius Brunett's 3-pointer. They continued to hold onto that lead and with 7:57 remaining the Beavers still were on top, 57-50.

From there, the Griffins started to dominate on both ends of the floor starting with an 8-0 run capped off by Elijah Rice's put back bucket giving Fontbonne a 58-57 lead with 3:38 left.

Fontbonne held its marginal advantage up until 1:10 left on the clock with Javon Stovall connecting on his jumper to give Blackburn the 65-64 lead.

After Anders went 1-of-2 from the line, the game was tied at 65-65 with 32.0 seconds left. Then, with 13.0 seconds left, the Beavers attempted an inbound pass but Caden Clark was there for the steal.

However, he missed his layup, Blackburn got the rebound and Chanz Aldridge was fouled on the play. He went on to hit the first, but missed the second. Rice came down with the board after Aldridge missed on the front end.

He found Clark who raced up the court and was fouled on the play with just over one second remaining. The Bethalto, Ill., native, hit both free throws giving Fontbonne a 67-66 lead. After a timeout, the Beavers had one last chance but Brunett's shot missed and the Griffins hung on for the win.

Team Stats

• Fontbonne finished shooting 34.8 percent from the floor.
• The team went 16-of-19 (84.2 percent) from the line making it two straight games they've shot at least 83.0 percent.
• Fontbonne held a 41-30 advantage on the glass.
• Blackburn ended with a 43.3 field goal percentage and hit nine 3-pointers.

Fontbonne Leaders

• Anthony Jones went 4-of-11 from the field but a perfect 6-of-6 from the line for 15 points.
• Kevin Anders was clutch off he bench ending with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting.
• Clark struggled from the field going 2-of-14, but made up for it at the free throw line going 9-of-10 finishing with 13 points. He also finished with nine rebounds and five assists.
• Elijah Rice went 6-of-14 from the floor for 12 points.

Up Next

The Griffins look for its eighth straight win this Saturday in the SLIAC Game of the Week when they'll visit Eureka. Tip-off at 3 p.m.

About Fontbonne University

Fontbonne University is a private, Catholic liberal arts university located in St. Louis, committed to a transformative education and inspiring students to become global citizens who think critically, act ethically and serve responsibly. The university, founded in 1923, is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. For more information, visit www.fontbonne.edu.

Make sure to follow men's basketball on all its social media accounts: Twitter (@FBUBasketball), Instagram (@fbubasketball) and Facebook (/FontbonneUGriffins).