CHICKASHA, Okla. -- Knotted at 63 apiece late in the second half, the Golden Eagles (17-9, 7-9 SAC) embarked on a 13-2 run over a 4:11 span to earn an 88-76 victory over Science & Arts (Okla.) this afternoon at the USAO Fieldhouse.
When the two squads met back on Jan. 2 at Bill George Arena, a double-digit Drover win, John Brown was riding an 11-game winning streak to begin the season but was without the services of Gilbert Gyamfi. Tonight, John Brown returned the favor with Gyamfi in the lineup as he netted a team-high 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field. He fell just one rebound shy of a double-double by collecting nine rebounds. Kurtis Phillips recorded his second-consecutive double-double, earning 13 points and 13 rebounds, which finished as a career-high.
Three other players scored 15 points apiece for the visitors, including Kofi Josephs who knocked down 5-of-11 attempts from the field while Jared Johnson netted a career-high 15 points, scoring on 7-of-9 chances, 10 of which came in the second half. Max Hopfgartner came off the bench for the second time this season and chipped in with 15 points and four rebounds in the win.
Tied at 46, USAO went on a 9-4 run to grab its largest lead of the game, 55-50, at the 12:26 mark of the second half. Hopfgartner quickly converted an old-fashioned three-point play that was quickly followed by a Johnson layup to knot the score. Gyamfi took over from there, taking off on a personal nine-straight point streak, holding John Brown to a slim margin, 64-63. The Golden Eagles began to pull away when Josephs fed Johnson for a layup on consecutive trips down the court before knocking down a triple of his own, vaulting the visitors to a 71-65 lead.
The Drovers managed just three field goals over the final 6:31 of the second half, allowing JBU to finish the game on a 17-11 run. The Golden Eagles converted 9-of-11 chances at the line in the waning moments while Phillips, Hopfgartner and Josephs each stuck layups to seal the victory.
In a game that featured 10 ties, the Golden Eagles secured a 38-30 rebounding advantage and shot 54.4 percent from the field (31-of-57), its highest mark since Jan. 11. The Drovers managed a 45.3 percent clip from the floor (29-of-64). JBU attempted 13 more free throws than the hosts, converting 21 (75.0 percent) while USAO finished 12-of-15 from the line (80.0 percent). Over its first 21 games, the Golden Eagles posted a 13-8 record and only shot better than 75.0 percent at the line four times. In its last five contests, John Brown has posted a percentage of .750 or better, finishing 4-1 over that span.
John Brown led the majority of the first half, including a pair of Gyamfi makes at the line handed JBU a 21-13 lead at the 10:26 mark. The Drovers retaliated with a 10-2 run to tie the score, but five-straight points from Gyamfi and a Hopfgartner layup stemmed the rally, giving the Golden Eagles a slight 30-26 advantage. Another 6-2 response from Science & Arts equalized the contest with just under two minutes remaining in the first half until Jared Johnson completed the and-one, allowing John Brown a 35-32 lead at the intermission.
USAO (11-12, 8-8 SAC) was led by Shavon Scott, who scored a game-high 28 points, which also tied his career high on a 9-of-17 effort from the field. Kennis White had 15 points and six rebounds in the game, while teammate Tyler Reynolds had 12 points and five assists. Jahseth Lloyd led the team in rebounds with 10, but the reigning NAIA National Player of the Week was held to just six points by the JBU defense after his career-high 30 points and 15 rebounds in a win over Northwood (Texas) and a 20-point, 12-rebound outing in the Drovers' upset win over Southwestern A.G. (Texas).
The Golden Eagles will return to the hardwood on Thursday (Feb. 20) when it travels to face Mid-America Christian (Okla.) at 8:00 p.m. at the Gaulke Activity Center.
