Men's Basketball Comeback Effort Falls Short Against Baptist Bible

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—The Fontbonne University men's basketball team tried to erase an 11-point halftime deficit, but the comeback effort fell short with Baptist Bible going on for the 85-77 win.

Records: Baptist Bible 5-2, Fontbonne 2-3

Game Breakdown

In the first half, the Griffins opened with a 15-13 lead with 10:03 remaining on Elijah Rice's made jumper. At the 6:55 mark, the Griffins led 23-22 on Will Suellentrop's bucket. However, the Patriots closed out the final six minutes and change on a 19-7 run leading 41-30 at the break.

Fontbonne had its struggles in the first half from the floor going 11-of-44 (25.0 percent), while the Patriots shot 50.0 percent from the field and were paced by Trent McBride's 15 points.

In the second half, the Griffins found its rhythm offensively going 7-of-11 from the floor and outscored Baptist Bible 18-8 as Caden Clark's layup narrowed the Patriots lead to 49-48 with 14:39 remaining.

Over the next three minutes, the Patriots gained some breathing room with an 8-0 run with Tre Flowers free throws making it a 57-48 contest.

The Griffins got the Patriots advantage narrowed to 70-66 with 3:42 left in regulation on Suellentrop's jumper. However, the Patriots rattled off a 7-3 run over the next minute and that prove to be enough for them to go on for the eight-point win.

Team Stats

• The Griffins finished with a 33.8 field goal percentage.
• The Griffins put up a season-high 80 shot attempts.
• Fontbonne went 15-of-22 (68.2 percent) from the free throw line.
• Baptist Bible held a marginal 43-42 rebounding advantage.

Fontbonne Leaders

• Anthony Jones recorded his first career double-double totaling 16 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
• Elijah Rice posted a season-high 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting.
• Brent Wager connected on four 3-pointers ending with 14 points.
• Caden Clark added 13 points.

Up Next

The Griffins look to get back on the winning track next Wednesday when they'll visit No. 20 WashU. Tip-off at 8 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).