Blackburn College hosted Fontbonne University on Wednesday evening. The Beavers were defeated by the Griffins by a final score of 102-56.
1st Quarter: Courtnee Riley had an impressive first quarter, scoring six points out of eleven in the first for the Beavers. Mariah Hopson scored four in the first, and Christian Monger tacked on one point from a free throw. Fontbonne outscored the Beavers 16-11 in the first quarter, however. Kourtney White led the Griffins in points during the quarter with four.
2nd Quarter: Fontbonne had an intense second quarter. The Griffins extended their lead during the second quarter until they were sitting at a comfortable 27-point lead heading into halftime. With the Beavers being continually pressured by injuries, it was difficult for Blackburn to keep a grip on their momentum during the quarter. At halftime, the score was 48-21, Fontbonne leading.
3rd Quarter: Mariah Hopson opened the second half with a quick layup just 20 seconds in. She followed it up with another layup quickly after, and then drained a pair of free throws following her second shot. Within the first two minutes of the third quarter, Hopson had tallied six points for the Beavers, fueling their momentum coming out of the locker room. Hopson had exceptional defense as well in the first half, as she had four blocked shots during the first two quarters.
Fontbonne was not ready to let off the gas, however. With several forced turnovers and an onslaught of three-pointers, the Griffins were able to remain complacent with their scoring and maintained an effective lead over the Beavers throughout the third quarter. As the quarter ended the score was 79-34, Fontbonne leading.
4th Quarter: The Griffins led the Beavers early in the fourth quarter by a score of 84-43. It seemed as if the Griffins couldn’t miss the basket; they were knocking down three-pointers with ease.
Mariah Hopson continued to impress with her blocking total, as she tacked on yet another in the fourth quarter. Despite her impressive performance, Fontbonne was still able to run away with the game. Halfway through the fourth quarter, Fontbonne was leading 90-45. When all was said and done, the Griffins had won by a final score of 102-56.
The Beavers are back in action on Saturday in Greenville, Illinois. The Panthers will host the Beavers for the SLIAC matchup, with tip off set for 1:00 p.m.