SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Kofi Josephs continued his torrid scoring tear, netting 29 points and Gilbert Gyamfi added 24 of his own as the No. 22 Golden Eagles (12-3, 2-3 SAC) converted nine free throws down the stretch to fend off an upset bid by Southwestern Christian (Okla.), 73-69, tonight at Bill George Arena.
With the victory, John Brown ends its former three-game losing streak, its longest dating back to Jan. 2010.
Josephs led all scorers with a game-high 29 points, sending the Golden Eagle leading scorer to 87 points in his last three outings, averaging 29.0 points per game over the span. He finished 10-of-16 from the field and knocked down five triples en route to his 13th double-digit output of the season. Gyamfi returned to form and tallied 24 points in the winning effort while grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. Gyamfi's second double-double of the season accompanied three assists, three steals and a 5-of-9 afternoon from the charity stripe. Max Hopfgartner also joined the double-digit group with 12 points, eight rebounds and two helpers.
After posting a 5-of-12 mark from the free throw line in the first half, JBU had to rely on converting from the line late in the game as it faced a 68-64 deficit with 89 seconds remaining. Josephs took a pass from Hopfgartner and drained a triple from the top of the key, pulling the Golden Eagles to within one. Forcing Southwestern Christian into early foul trouble, John Brown took advantage of the double-bonus chances when Hopfgartner drained a pair with 37 ticks remaining on the clock, vaulting the Golden Eagles into the lead.
Gyamfi stepped up on the defensive end on the ensuing possession, forcing a turnover and absorbing a foul. After knocking down both chances, Josephs committed a foul with four seconds left but SCU's Tyler Inman only split the pair as Hopfgartner corralled the rebound and was immediately fouled. Hopfgartner calmly drained a pair of shots from the line, allowing JBU to escape with a 73-69 victory.
The visiting Eagles managed just two field goals over the final 3:13 after an outstanding second half from the field. Southwestern Christian converted nine triples in the first stanza before posting a 6-of-13 effort from long range, finishing 15-of-33 beyond the arc (45.5 percent). After shooting a 47.6 percent mark in the first half, John Brown responded with an even better final 20 minutes, capturing a 61.9 percent clip from the field (13-of-21) and drained 7-of-10 from the distance. The Golden Eagles' 54.8 percent afternoon marked its best output in the new year.
SCU (5-7, 1-4 SAC) secured its game-high 13-point advantage on three separate occasions in the second half, including a 59-46 lead at the 10:07 mark. The Golden Eagles' leading scorer took over briefly, netting consecutive triples and another bucket down low that whittled the Eagle lead to just five, 59-54. After the margin returned to seven, 61-54, Quinton Smith converted two free throws and Gyamfi and Josephs teamed up for two-straight buckets, handing John Brown its first lead since the 9:09 mark of the first half.
Facing an early 6-0 hole after a pair of SCU triples, the margin widened to 11-5 in favor of the visitors until a 10-0 JBU run that featured five points from Josephs handed John Brown its first lead, 15-11. Southwestern Christian's efficient offense returned the favor, rallying the visitors to a 11-3 run, forcing a Clark Sheehy timeout. Although Gyamfi secured the final six points over the final 3:23 of the first half, the Eagles retaliated with a pair of triples, one as the first half buzzer sounded.
The JBU defense forced 13 Southwestern Christian turnovers, which it converted into 10 points. Sparked by Hopfgartner and Gyamfi, the Golden Eagles owned the paint by a 37-17 margin while the SCU bench overpowered John Brown's reserves, 22-3.
The visitors were powered by a trio of double-digit outputs, including a team-high 19 points from Reggie Sloan. Austin Turner came off the bench to net 12 points while Robert Rozim chipped in with 10 in the losing effort.
JBU will now look to continue its improvement in Texas where the Golden Eagles will face No. 2 Southwestern A.G. (Texas) on Thursday (Jan. 16) at 8:00 p.m. before bouting with Northwood (Texas) in a Saturday (Jan. 18) matinee matchup.
