SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Similar to the last matchup in Chickasha, Okla., the No. 23 John Brown University men's basketball team held a late lead only to see it stolen away within seconds left of the final buzzer – this time in a 72-71 setback to Science & Arts (Okla.) on Saturday (Feb. 16) afternoon inside Bill George Arena.
The Golden Eagles (19-9, 13-7 Sooner Athletic) had numerous chances to put the game away, including a pair of trips to the line with three and one-point leads, respectively. However, the front end of both bonus attempts failed to fall, and the Drovers (19-8, 13-7) made JBU pay the dearest of prices.
In transition off the miss, the Drovers heaved up a triple with three seconds left that didn't fall, but USAO's Geno Artison, crashing the glass late, corralled the rebound and stuck the put-back with .5 seconds left to stun the Bill George Arena crowd.
The win sends John Brown into a tie with USAO for second place, with the Drovers holding the tiebreak by virtue of winning both games – both by one point – in the two-game season series. Still, with just two games left in the regular season, the Golden Eagles could still finish anywhere between second and fifth, the latter of which will require hitting the road in the Sooner Athletic tournament quarterfinals. The top four seeds host the quarterfinal matchups.
Dedrian Parmer was unstoppable for the visitors, finishing the contest 10-of-10 from the floor – scoring a game-high 25 points in 38 minutes played. Clay Long added 20 points to make up the bulk of the Drover offensive output, which shot 60 percent in the second half and 54 percent overall.
Led by senior Jake Caudle's five, the Golden Eagles poured in 13 triples but shot only 35 percent behind the arc. Inside the arc, JBU shot 54 percent, but ended the contest just 44 percent overall, as the visitors heavily out-boarded the Golden Eagles, 35-22.
Caudle hit 8-of-16 from the field to contribute 23 points, while freshman Luke Harper came off the bench to contribute 13. Both sophomores Rokas Grabliauskas and Densier Carnes notched nine points apiece in the loss, JBU's second straight in Siloam Springs.
Armed with a 14-point lead at the 15:29 mark of the second half, USAO quickly whittled the deficit to just two points, courtesy of a 17-5 run midway through the half. Down the stretch, the hosts' lead was as high as eight points, 69-61, with just 2:55 left in the game.
The Golden Eagles will honor seniors Jake Caudle, Josh Bowling and Benjamin Smith on Thursday (Feb. 21) night as part of the Senior Day festivities. That night, the Golden Eagles will welcome Langston (Okla.) in another pivotal matchup that is scheduled to tip at 8 p.m.
