ST. LOUIS, MO. - This afternoon the Principia College women's basketball team traveled to St. Louis, MO to play the Griffins of Fontbonne University in their second meeting of the season.  Having lost at the buzzer by just two points the last time around, the Panthers were looking to take this second match-up.  Unfortunately, a slow start for Principia allowed Fontbonne to take the lead from the very first minutes, and the Panthers would never quite recover.  The Griffins jumped out to a 10-0 start due to turnovers and quick transitions, and while the Panthers were eventually able to find their bearings, the deficit proved tricky to overcome.  Down seven at the half, Principia was able to hang around, keeping the game within reach as they headed into the locker room with a score of 17-24.

In the end, it was that 10-0 start, as well as missed free throws that were the Panthers undoing.  Principia shot an uncharacteristic 9-17 from the free throw line, and this, combined with several turnovers solidified the Fontbonne lead.  Despite cutting the Griffin advantage to four on multiple occasions, Principia was never able to make the final push to take control.  Senior guard McKinzie Wilgus was a big spark in the second half, scoring all of her 11 total points in the second twenty, and the continued offensive consistency of junior forward Kara Johnson accounted for the majority of the Panther offense.  At the final buzzer, Fontbonne came away with a six point lead, winning 54-48.  Notable statistical contributions include the aforementioned shooting performance from Wilgus, and Johnson who finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds.  Senior captain Karina Olsen also logged 13 boards.

The Panthers play next this coming Tuesday, February 10th, at home against the Blackburn Beavers.  Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 pm.