Women's Basketball Fourth Quarter Push Falls Short Against Spalding; Stafford Sets Single-Season Points Record

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—The Fontbonne University women's basketball team tried to erase a 22-point fourth quarter deficit, but the Spalding Golden Eagles fended off Fontbonne for the 78-72 win.

Records

Spalding (9-15; 5-8 SLIAC)

Fontbonne (11-13; 7-7 SLIAC)

Game Breakdown

In the first, the Golden Eagles had Fontbonne in a 10-1 hole on Natalie Fichter's jumper. The Golden Eagles held its lead throughout holding a 18-9 advantage after one.

In the second quarter, a 3-pointer from Kya Harbour had Fontbonne down 26-19 with 6:33 remaining. Spalding answered going on a 6-0 run with Fichter's layup giving them the 32-19 lead. The Golden Eagles maintained its double-digit lead the rest of the way leading 39-26 at the break.

In the third, the Griffins opened with a 9-2 run with Jillian Venegas' 3-point play trimming the deficit to 41-35. Spalding controlled the final seven minutes closing out on a 23-7 run with Mercedez Moore's layup giving them the 64-42 advantage.

In the fourth, the Griffins started to find its rhythm opening with a 12-2 run in the first five minutes with Rylee Stafford's 3-pointer making it a 66-54 deficit.

Fontbonne kept battling and trailed 71-65 with just over three minutes left on Haley Buscher's 3-pointer. However, the Golden Eagles fended off Fontbonne in the final two minutes to secure the win.

Team Stats

• The Griffins shot 35.1 percent from the field.
• Fontbonne connected on 13 3-pointers.
• Spalding ended the day shooting 46.6 percent from the field.
• Spalding held a 40-39 advantage on the glass.
• The Golden Eagles bench outscored Fontbonne, 28-13

Fontbonne Leaders

• Rylee Stafford led with a team-high 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting. She added another record to her illustrious career becoming the single-season leader at Fontbonne in total points with 468.
• She breaks the previous mark of 467 held by Monica Jackson since 1998.
• Jillian Venegas earned her third double-double on the year with 17 points and 15 rebounds.
• Haley Buscher had a strong game off the bench with 10 points.

Up Next

The Griffins will now enter the SLIAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed and host No. 5 seed Eureka on Wednesday. Tip-off at 7 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).