SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Staring at what was once a nine-point deficit, the John Brown mens basketball team (3-0) rallied in the final three minutes to erase a five-point hole to post an 82-81 come-from-behind win over Hillsdale Free Will Baptist (Okla.) on Thursday (Nov. 5) evening inside Bill George Arena.
Down 79-74 with 3:09 left in the contest, senior Luke Moyer began JBUs comeback bid with a pair of conversions at the line. Later, just 28 seconds apart, junior Ricky Roberts, who had his best outing of the season, recorded layups that book-ended Hillsdales lone field goal in the final 369 seconds, pulling the hosts to within one, 81-80. The John Brown defense stepped up with consecutive turnovers including one with 24 seconds, which led to senior Griffin Brady capping off the contest with a pair at the line.
Armed with a one-point lead, the Golden Eagles played defense for the last possession and Adam Morales couldnt deliver the game-winner for the visitors at the buzzer as JBU escaped with the narrow win.
The final rally was setup largely due to another run John Brown featured when the Saints (0-2) had a 73-66 lead at the 6:40 mark. Sophomore Matt Ledford and Moyer hit triples and Brady added a bucket down low, converting a seven-point margin into a 74-73 lead.
Roberts led all Golden Eagles with 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the floor while Moyer bounced back from a difficult first half to drain 13 second-half points, finishing with 22 on a 4-of-7 effort from behind the arc. He also converted 4-of-4 from the line, dished out five assists, a team best, and grabbed six defensive boards. Brady ended the evening 5-of-8 from the field, contributing 13 points and six rebounds while junior Nate Anderson posted nine points, five rebounds and three blocks in the win.
JBU received some valuable time from freshman Benjamin Smith, who corralled a team-high nine rebounds while rejecting two shots.
After shooting just 3-of-24 in its first outing from behind the arc, the Saints surprised John Brown with a 9-of-27 effort (33.3 percent). The Golden Eagles countered, however, after shooting just 12-of-30 in the first frame (40 percent), JBU came out in the second period to shoot 15-of-26 (57.7 percent) to finish the contest at 48.2 percent. Hillsdale turned in just a 36.1 percent mark in the second half, totaling a 26-of-63 effort from the floor (41.3 percent).
John Brown couldnt find the lead in the first half until Roberts splashed two at the foul line and added a lay-in at the 13:15 mark, sending JBU to a 14-13 lead. The lead didnt last long, however, as the Saints responded with an 8-2 run to regain a 21-16 advantage. With 7:04 remaining in the half, Moyer added a bucket followed by his first triple of the night. Two possessions later, Smith cleaned up a Moyer miss, building a three-point lead for the hosts, 30-27.
After Anderson split a pair at the line, JBUs five-point lead, 38-33, began to dwindle at the 2:24 mark. The Saints finished the half on a 10-2 run to enjoy a 43-40 lead at the intermission.
The turnovers remain high for John Brown (17) but the Golden Eagle defense has limited what the opposition has been able to do on ensuing possessions, keeping Hillsdale to just 14 points off turnovers. Conversely, the hosts manufactured 20 points off 16 Saint miscues. JBU handled points in the paint (45-36) and the rebounding advantages (37-30), but the Saints reserves out-scored John Browns bench by a 21-12 margin.
Adam Morales scored a game-high 24 for Hillsdale on a 5-of-16 effort from the floor, but he also notched an 11-of-12 mark from the line. Both Xavier Hunter and Trey Sneed poured in 12 each and Antonio Wilson grabbed a team-best six boards and dished out five assists off the bench.
JBU wont have much time to relax, as it welcomes Avila (Mo.) to Bill George Arena on Saturday (Nov. 7) at 4 p.m. The Eagles will be John Browns first NAIA competition this season.
