SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Despite working all the way into the lead for the first time late in the game, the John Brown University women's basketball offense stalled down the final stretch as visiting Science & Arts (Okla.) escaped Bill George Arena with a 65-59 decision on Saturday (Feb. 16) afternoon.
The Drovers (19-9, 14-6 Sooner Athletic) racked up a 10-point lead in the third quarter, but nine points from senior Baily Cameron and another seven from senior Karina Chandra turned the tide by starting the fourth quarter on a 8-2 run the saw John Brown (15-12, 11-9) take its first lead of the game.
The squads traded buckets on ensuing possessions, but a Drover triple momentarily tied the score at 57 apiece. Freshman Kayla Nelson finished down low off a feed from junior Sara Williams to give the hosts a two-point lead with 3:42 remaining.
The JBU offense stopped there, however, and Vivian Holcomb scored her final bucket of the game to tie the contest a last time. The Golden Eagles turned the ball over on their next trip up the court and USAO converted quickly on a fast-break layup.
Science & Arts, winners of six straight, finished the game 4-of-4 at the stripe to close out the game. JBU came up empty on all six of its final possessions.
Cameron inched closer to the 2,000-point mark with 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor. She also grabbed nine of John Brown's 30 rebounds and dished out four assists. Chandra shot 6-of-14 from the field and led the hosts with 16 points.
Nelson added a strong performance off the bench with eight points and nine rebounds while Williams passed around five assists.
While committing seven of her team's 10 turnovers, Holcomb finished with 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting, while Kaytlen Johnson contributed 10 points and four assists. Both players, along with Ammons, played all 40 minutes of the contest.
The Golden Eagles hit 44 percent from the field (22-of-50) but turned the ball over five more times than the visitors, allowing USAO 12 more shot attempts. Thirteen Drover offensive rebounds were converted into 12 second-chance points.
With the loss, John Brown falls into a tie for seventh place with Texas Wesleyan with two games remaining in the regular season. While tiebreaks still can't rule out hosting a Sooner Athletic tournament quarterfinal game on Tuesday (Feb. 26), JBU will need help to avoid hitting the road for the first round.
The Golden Eagles return to action on Thursday (Feb. 21) night and will host Langston (Okla.) at 6 p.m. Seniors Karina Chandra, Baily Cameron and Preslea Lawson will be honored as part of Senior Day festivities after the contest.
