Women's Basketball Earns Gritty Win Over Barclay

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—The Fontbonne University women's basketball team got back to the .500 mark on Saturday after fending off the Barclay Bears for the 69-62 win.

Records: Fontbonne 3-3, Barclay 1-7

Game Breakdown

Back-to-back 3-pointers from Kourtney White and Rylee Stafford gave Fontbonne a 10-2 lead with 6:04 remaining in the first.

Barclay got to within three (16-13) on Ryanisha Fleming's bucket with 30.0 seconds left, but prior to the quarter ending Haley Buscher made her shot giving Fontbonne an 18-13 lead after one.

In the second quarter, the Griffins continued to hold its marginal lead with Jillian Venegas' 3-point play putting Fontbonne ahead 28-21 with just under four minutes left. Fontbonne held onto its advantage the rest of the way leading 32-25 at the break.

In the third, the Griffins opened with an 8-1 run in just over two and half minute time as Venegas' layup gave them the 40-26 lead.

However, the Bears responded with a 19-2 run in five minutes which gave them the 45-42 lead. The Griffins gathered themselves and closed out the final two minutes on a 7-0 run with Stafford's 3-pointer giving Fontbonne a 49-45 lead.

In the fourth, the Griffins gained some breathing room at 57-47 with 7:15 remaining on Stafford's layup. Barclay kept battling and narrowed the deficit down to 57-55 on Jalen Davis' layup with two minutes and 58 seconds remaining.

On the ensuing possession, Stafford connected on another 3-pointer giving Fontbonne the 3-point lead. From there, the team made the necessary free throws to secure the seven-point win.

Team Stats

• The Griffins finished with a 38.5 field goal percentage.
• Defensively, the Griffins forced 26 turnovers.
• Fontbonne dominated in the paint with a 38-22 advantage.

Fontbonne Leaders

• Rylee Stafford recorded her second straight 25-point game going 9-of-22 from the floor and 5-of-13 from downtown.
• Jillian Venegas ended with a season-high 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
• Kourtney White earned her second double-double on the year with 13 points and set a career-high with 15 boards. She added six assists and five steals.

Up Next

The Griffins are back in action prior to the holiday break on Tuesday when they'll visit Knox College. Tip-off at 5 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 the women's basketball team on all its social media accounts: Twitter (@fontbonnewbb), Instagram (@fontbonnewbb) and Facebook (/FontbonneUGriffins).