SHAWNEE, Okla. -- Kofi Josephs scored a game-high 17 points and the Golden Eagles (12-7, 2-7 SAC) erased a 10-point deficit but failed to score any points in the final 1:51 of the second half, forcing John Brown to absorb a 56-53 loss this afternoon to Oklahoma Baptist at the Noble Complex.
Josephs netted three triples on eight attempts and went 8-of-10 from the charity stripe to lead John Brown. Max Hopfgartner narrowly missed a double-double, scoring 12 points on a 5-of-10 effort from the field while collecting a team-high nine rebounds.
Shooting was a problem the entire game for the Golden Eagles as neither team was able to score over the first 4:25 of play. OBU finally scored the first basket and ran to a quick 18-10 lead as points were at a premium. The host's lead would grow to 13 until free throws from Gilbert Gyamfi and Josephs, coupled with Quinton Smith's lone field goal of the first half, pulled JBU back to within 10, 31-21, at the break.
After both teams traded triples to open the second frame, the Golden Eagles made its run, sparked by field goals from Gyamfi and Samson Olayemi. Josephs knocked down another pair from the line and finally Hopfgartner drilled a triple from the right arc, forcing a 36-35 Baptist lead. The squads battled to four ties until four Josephs makes at the stripe kept John Brown in contention, 52-51. The Bison continued to get to the line, however, forcing Hopfgartner to nail his final bucket of the game with 1:51 remaining, cutting the margin again to one, 54-53. The JBU offense would stall after that however, as the Golden Eagles went 0-of-3 in the waning moments and allowed OBU to maintain ball possession by giving up a pair of game-clinching offensive rebounds down the stretch.
Despite shooting just 6-of-22 in the first half (27.3 percent), John Brown rebounded in the second half with a 10-of-23 effort (43.5 percent). The Bison managed a 37.5 percent clip for the afternoon (21-of-56) and used 10 offensive rebounds to register 10 more second-chance points for JBU while out-rebounding the visitors, 37-31.
The road doesn't get any easier for JBU as it will travel back to Shawnee, Okla., to face No. 17 St. Gregory's (Okla.) on Tuesday (Jan. 26). Game time is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
