SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- In front of a rather raucous Bill George Arena crowd, which witnessed its first men's basketball postseason action since 2011, the No. 18 John Brown University men's basketball team shot a season-best 60.7 percent from the field and ran away with a 94-69 win over Southwestern A.G. (Texas) in the quarterfinals on Tuesday (Feb. 26) night.
Marking the sixth time the season and the second time against SAGU, the Golden Eagles eclipsed 90 points – its most since a 93-78 win over the Lions in Waxahachie on Nov. 29, 2018 – paced by senior Jake Caudle's 32-point outburst, and aided by four Golden Eagles coming off the bench to provide double-figure scoring.
Converting 11-of-15 from the field and 7-of-8 behind the arc, Caudle finished the game just one triple shy of his own single-game record. Caudle, on his own, shot 73 percent from the floor, but the second-seeded Golden Eagles (22-9) hit 61 percent from the floor, a season high, including draining 19-of-29 from the field in the second half (66 percent).
Sophomore Densier Carnes hit a pair of triples in the second half to finish with 14 points, six rebounds and a career-high four assists. Junior Desmond Kennedy dropped 6-of-9 from the field to also score 14, while freshman Luke Harper and junior Quintin Bailey each posted 10 points off the bench.
Although featuring 12 lead changes throughout, JBU dominated inside the arc and out – doubling up the Lions (19-12) 48-22 inside the arc, while holding the visitors to 18 percent behind the arc. Nykolas Mason's 14 points wasn't enough and Joshua Kashila's full 40-minute effort and 13 points wasn't enough for seventh-seeded SAGU to avoid its third loss of the season to John Brown.
The victory was head coach Jason Beschta's second-career postseason win with the Golden Eagles and the first time JBU has escaped the tournament quarterfinals since the 2013-14 campaign.
Harper's five assists paced a squad that dished out 25 assists on 37 field goals (68 percent) – JBU's most since an open-night 108-66 win over Ecclesia (Ark.).
Four different Golden Eagles combined for 13 triples as John Brown also set a single-game season high behind the arc, converting at a 57 percent clip, including 9-of-13 in a runaway second half.
A Kashila triple pulled the Lions within eight, 54-46, with 15:44 left in the game, but Caudle's four-point play jump-started an 18-8 rally that ballooned the John Brown lead to 18, 72-54. SAGU wouldn't get closer than 15 as the hosts stretched out its advantage to a game-high 27 points late in the second half.
With the win, John Brown survives as the quarterfinals' only higher seed to advance as Panhandle State, Oklahoma City and Mid-America Christian all earned road victories – leaving JBU as the highest remaining seed in the tournament.
Since there is no re-seeding in the tournament, the Golden Eagles will take on Mid-America Christian (Okla.) on Friday (March 1) at 8 p.m. with a spot in the title game on the line – slated for Saturday at 4 p.m.
