Griffins win home opener in overtime

St. Louis, Mo.- Fontbonne University men's basketball overcame a 10-point first half deficit to overtake MacMurray College in overtime 76-67. The win if the first of the season for the Griffins who are now 1-1 in conference play. MacMurray drops to 0-8 this year. 

Fontbonne led 18-16 until MacMurray scored 12 unanswered points. The Griffins finished the half by scoring six more to pull within four at halftime. 

Second-half play was back and forth until Fontbonne earned a 45-39 lead with 11:35 left to play. MacMurray took a 47-46 advantage with just under eight and a half minutes left. The rest of the half the teams exchanged points until James Wiggins found junior Jack Lake under the basket to tie the game for the Griffins with 27 seconds remaining. MacMurray drained the clock looking for a last-second victory. Tim Frazier dribbled around and found the big man Brent Long at the elbow. Long's shot missed and Wiggens brought down the rebound to send the game into overtime. 

Fontbonne scored eight consecutive buckets to lead 70-62. Senior Orkan Bakis fired a laser of a pass to fellow senior Dallas Haywood under the basket who scored what would be the game-winning basket. MacMurray scored two buckets and a free-throw to pull with three points, but Fontbonne closed out the win with two more buckets. 

Bakis led the Griffins with 17 points, 10 defensive rebounds and five assists. Also scoring double digits were Jack Lake with a career-high 14 points and Kody Ettinger with 11 points and three steals. Lake also added six rebounds and Ettinger five in his first varsity game of the season. Wiggins recorded four assists in the win.

Long recorded the game-high 21 points and added 10 rebounds for the Highlanders as well. 

Fontbonne is at WashU on Tuesday at 8 p.m. and hosts Blackburn College next Saturday, Dec. 10th at 3 p.m.