Fontbonne University defended its SLIAC Men's Basketball Championship with an 80-48 win over Spalding University on Saturday. This is the fifth time in conference history a school has repeated as champions and the second time in four years a school has achieved the feat. 

Fontbonne used a quick barrage of scoring to take control of the game, jumping out to a 16-5 lead, and did not look back. The last time their lead was under double digits was at the 12:14 mark of the first-half. Any run by Spalding was quickly answered back by the Griffins, highlighted by a three-quarter heave from Brent Wagner at the halftime buzzer. 

Fontbonne shot 52-percent from the field in the game including 58-percent in the second-half while holding Spalding to just 30-percent shooting from the floor including 4-of-21 from three-point range. The Griffins out scored Spalding 50-24 in the paint and 19-4 on the fast break. 

Ethan Chartrand led Fontbonne with 20 points as three other Griffins scored in double-figures including Brent Wagner (10 points) who earned Tournament MVP honors. Also earning tournament honors were his teammates Elijah Rice and Adam Painter as well as Anthony Dillard and Caden Bradford from Spalding. Earlier All-Tournament honorees were Darius Duff, from Blackburn College, Kiaire Patrick, from Greenville University, AJ Byrd, from Principia College, and Karl Moore Jr, from Webster.

The championship gives Fontbonne their 6th title in program history, tying them for second most in conference history. They await the selection show on Monday to find out their opponent in the 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship.