Box Score

The Spalding University men's basketball team rallied from a 15 point deficit with 4:47 left in regulation to escape with a 68-66 victory over visiting Fontbonne University Saturday afternoon.

The win extends Spalding's current win streak to five. SU is 5-5 overall and 3-0 in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference competition.

Spalding jumped out to a 15-9 lead when Devin Mayfield connected on a three-pointer at the 12:02 mark in the first half.

Fontbonne bounced back with an 11-0 run capped off by a Jared Greenlee layup to take a 20-15 lead.

A pair of Thomas Blakemore free throws got SU within three points, but the Griffins outscored Spalding 17-9 to close the half, to take a 37-26 lead at halftime.

A Brandon Gabriel three-pointer and Quayshaun Hamilton layup to start the second half cut Fontbonne's lead to six, but the Griffins slowly pulled away over the next 13 minutes, taking a 65-50 lead with just under five minutes to play.

Will Barber converted an and-one layup, igniting a 16-0 Spalding run. Quayshaun Hamilton capped off the run with a game-tying put back off a Taylor King missed layup and was fouled on the play. Hamilton stepped to the line and knocked down the free throw, giving SU their first lead since the 11:05 mark in the first half.

Leading 66-65 with 38 seconds remaining, Spalding needed a defensive stop, but King fouled Jared Greenlee, sending the sophomore forward to the line with a chance to take the lead with 30 seconds remaining. Greenlee missed his first attempt, but connected on the second to knot the score 66-66.

Mayfield took the inbounds pass, advanced the ball past half court, dribbled the ball up top, and handed it off to Barber with 11 seconds on the clock. Barber dribbled right off a Taylor King screen into the lane, split two defenders and pulled up, drilling a step-back jumper from the free throw line, giving SU a 68-66 lead with 5.2 seconds to play.

Fontbonne inbounded the ball to Richard Dorbauer, who drove the ball up the right sideline and fired a deep three-pointer for the win, but it was off the mark and SU snuck away with they 68-66 win.

The Golden Eagles were outshot 48.9% to 35.0%, but made up for it on the offensive boards, leading to a plus 15 shot advantage off 14 offensive rebounds.

The Golden Eagles had three players score in double figures. Senior Thomas Blakemore paced Spalding with 16 points, Will Barber added 12 points, and Hamilton scored 10 points.

Darius Rucker led the Griffins 15 points and eight rebounds.

The Golden Eagles will be back in action Tuesday, January 7 as they host Blackburn College. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m., ET at Derek Smith Gymnasium (DSG).