CHICKASHA, Okla. -- Despite owning a 47.8 percent to 42.5 percent shooting advantage, Science & Arts (Okla.) attempted 43 free throws, compared to 14 for the John Brown mens basketball team (9-10, 2-5 SAC), and enjoyed a strong bench performance in a 96-85 win over the Golden Eagles on Thursday (Jan. 21) at the Drover Fieldhouse.
The Drovers (9-5, 4-2 SAC) made more almost double the free throws (26) than JBU attempted (14) to compensate for a lower shooting efficiency. USAO finished the game 26-of-43 from the line on 32 John Brown personal fouls. The hosts were whistled for just 17 infractions as JBU notched a 9-of-14 mark from the charity stripe.
Regardless, the Golden Eagles found itself down 15 at the break, 51-36, as the Drover lead ballooned to a game-high 19 with 18:18 left in the second half. John Brown shot lights out in the second period, hitting 19-of-35 from the floor, including five triples, to pull within single digits.
“Its difficult to come back from a first half like we had tonight when we just didnt do some things very well,†admitted head coach Jason Beschta. “Teams in this league are too talented to expect to climb your way out of that type of hole. However, I was proud of our focus in the second half on getting stops on defense and finding each other for great shots on offense. We gave ourselves a chance cutting the lead to four, but we missed some good opportunities to cut into the lead further, and they made some key baskets.
“We really had some good stretches tonight playing in a way that reflected a commitment to what we value as a team, but for us to come out on top in games like this, we are going to have to extend those stretches closer and closer to 40 minutes.â€
Senior Luke Moyer kicked off the comeback effort with a pair of triples en route to a game-high 27 points while senior Griffin Brady added another triple, pulling JBU within 12 at the 16:24 mark. Neither team scored for over 120 seconds until freshman Marquis Waller hit a pair from the line. Nate Anderson hit a layup 28 seconds later and Moyers third triple of the half capped off a 13-0 Golden Eagle run that kept the Drovers scoreless for a 5:33 span of the second half.
Now within five, 57-52, the teams traded possessions down the stretch until USAOs Brendan Champan notched an and-one with 9:18 left, handing the hosts a 69-60 lead. Again JBU responded, this time with back-to-back layups from Moyer and freshman Benjamin Smith, cutting the lead to five. Over the next 1:31, a Brady free throw, a Brady jumper and a Moyer triple kept the Golden Eagles within four, the latest at 76-72, with 5:08 to play.
Thats where the JBU offense would begin to stutter, as JBU could manage just two free throws from Moyer over the next 4:51 as the Drovers rallied to a 10-0 run, breaking open a 14-point lead, 86-72. Senior Ricky Roberts hit a trio of layups in the final seconds, as did Moyer, but USAO finished the game 8-of-11 from the line over the final 1:27 to hold onto the double-digit victory.
Twelve of JBUs 16 turnovers came in the first half and 11 offense rebounds from the Drovers built the double-digit deficit at the end of the first half.
The Drovers narrowly won the rebounding battle, 46-44, and the points in the paint advantage, 44-38. It was bench production that powered USAO, a whopping 56 points from its reserves, led by 25 points from Richard McCalop while benchmate Brendan Chapman added 20 points and eight rebounds of his own. The Golden Eagles received 25 points from its reserves, led by freshman Brandon Joseph, who shot 2-of-3 from behind the arc for seven points.
Two points shy of tying a career-high, Moyer scored 27 on 10-of-15 shooting from the floor and an impressive 5-of-8 mark behind the arc. Roberts added 21, his first game over 20 since Nov. 17, on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. Brady collected his second-straight double-double with 11 points and 11 boards.
Taran Buie scored 20 points for the Drovers while David Tucker notched his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 caroms.
Traveling to Muskogee, Okla., the Golden Eagles will return to the court on Saturday (Jan. 23) when it faces Bacone (Okla.). Tip is scheduled for 5 p.m.
