SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- After holding the nation's sixth-best offense to a season-low 19 points in the first half, the John Brown University men's basketball team had to withstand a furious second-half comeback and find a counterpunch of its own in a 65-60 win over Southwestern A.G. (Texas) inside Bill George Arena on Thursday night (Nov. 21).
The Golden Eagle (7-0, 1-0 Sooner Athletic) defense pieced together its best half of the young season in the first stanza, holding the visiting Lions, which entered the contest averaging 99.0 points per game, to an abysmal 26.9 percent effort from the floor (7-of-26) and an 0-of-12 mark from behind the arc. While SAGU struggled to find rhythm, the hosts built a nearly 20-point lead.
Junior Rokas Grabliauskas scored nine points in the first half on three triples, while Luke Harper added eight points and four rebounds. But, more importantly, sophomore Ira Perrier and the Golden Eagles were able to sideline the Lions' leading scorer, Nykolas Mason, to the bench with just nine minutes played and four points. Things would change quickly, however, in the second half.
Despite a healthy 31-16 lead at the bathroom break, SAGU roared back with a 30-14 run through the first 11:37 of the second half to take its first lead of the contest, 46-45. The rally wouldn't stop there, however, as SAGU finished the run, including a pair of rim-shaking Mason dunks, to take a game-high seven-point advantage, 52-45, with just under seven minutes remaining.
A triple from the deep right corner from junior Kiree Hutchings finally tied the contest at 55 apiece, but after Mason's jumper returned the lead to the visitors, John Brown struck for the lead – and for good. Grabliauskas broke through the press at the timeline and pushed a bounce pass to senior Quintin Bailey down low, who put up a shot off the glass and in while drawing a foul. The momentum play was capped off with Bailey's conversion at the line, and John Brown sunk 7-of-10 free throws down the stretch to keep the Lions from regaining the lead.
The Golden Eagle defense again emerged after Mason's jumper gave SAGU its final lead of the game. The Lions earned three points at the line, but came up with six empty possessions that allowed JBU to clinch its first 7-0 start of the Beschta era.
Harper sunk 7-of-15 from the field to lead all Golden Eagles with 19 points, while Hutching came off the bench to provide JBU's only other double-digit scorer – 10 points off a pair of timely triples. Grabliauskas and Bailey each chipped in with nine apiece as the hosts managed to evade disaster with 23 turnovers.
Mason tallied 16 points in the second half to finish with a game-high 20 on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor, including a 6-of-10 night from the charity stripe. He Kentton Williams (12) and Joshua Kashila (10) each figured in double digits, but the Lions couldn't overcome a season-worst 3-of-26 effort from behind the arc (11.5 percent) and John Brown 38-25 rebounding advantage.
Up Next »
JBU will look to push its season-opening win streak to eight games when it welcomes Texas Wesleyan to Bill George Arena on an action-packed Saturday (Nov. 23). Tip is slated for 2:45 p.m.
