St. Louis - In its home opener, the Maryville men's basketball team rolled to an 86-60 victory over Fontbonne. Ben Palacios guided four Saints in double figures with a career-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting. The Saints shot 50.8 percent from the field and sank 10 3-pointers on the night.
 
Fontbonne recap
The Saints went on a 12-0 run to cruise to a 14-2 advantage five minutes into the contest. Palacios ignited the run with two free throw, and Jaeden Smith drained a deep 3-pointer. Colin Schuler knocked down a triple and JT Morgan grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback. Kelvin Swims scored in the lane for a 14-2 lead. The Saints slowly stretched their advantage to 31-11 with five minutes left in the half. Maryville scored the final six points of the half to take a 46-19 into halftime.
 
The Saints kept a commanding lead in the second half and did not allow Fontbonne to make a serious run. Maryville's margin grew to as much as 31 points as the Saints cruised in the final 15 minutes. The Saints scored 44 points in the paint. Dylan Ingram scored 12 points, Trey Redd added 11 points, and Tutu Chisholm added 10 points while sinking all four field goal attempts.
 
The Saints had 22 assists and committed just 11 turnovers. The Maryville defense forced Fontbonne into 21 turnovers that led to 28 points.
 
Statistical Leaders
Points: Ben Palacios - 20
Rebounds: Dylan Ingram and Colin Schuler - 6
Assists: Kelvin Swims - 5
3-Pointers: Ben Palacios - 4
Steals: Ari Jackson, Trey Redd, Jaeden Smith - 2
Blocked Shots: Ari Jackson and JT Morgan - 1
 
Records
Maryville: 2-1
Fontbonne: 0-2 (exhibition game)
 
What's Next?
The Saints stay at Moloney Arena and return to play Upper Iowa Friday, Nov. 18, in a 6 p.m. contest.