CHICKASHA, Okla. -- A late Densier Carnes triple gave the Golden Eagles a three-point lead with under a minute to go, but Science & Arts tied the game on the next possession to force overtime and finished the extra session 8-of-12 from the charity stripe as the Drovers upset the No. 10 John Brown University men's basketball team by a 90-84 final on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 1) inside the Drover Fieldhouse.
The Golden Eagle (19-3, 10-2 Sooner Athletic) offense suddenly went cold to start overtime as the visitors missed its first four shots from the field, allowing USAO (11-11, 5-7) to take an eight-point lead, 80-72, before senior Quintin Bailey's bucket in the post ended the drought with under two minutes left to play.
JBU had entered the extra session undefeated on the year, recording back-to-back overtime wins over Southwestern Christian (Okla.) and Oklahoma City earlier this month.
The hosts' advantage would extend even further to 11, 85-74, until late triples from sophomore Luke Harper and junior Kiree Hutchings closed the gap to a more respectable six-point margin.
The loss sets John Brown back in a tenuous position as the Golden Eagles are just one game behind conference-leader Mid-America Christian and hold a narrow one-game lead over Southwestern A.G., currently sitting in third place.
Battling through 14 lead changes and 12 ties, JBU's largest lead of the contest came late in the first half when Harper's triple handed the visitors a 35-30 lead. The Drovers responded by finishing the stanza on a 10-3 run over the remaining 2:18.
Hutchings kept the John Brown offense churning in the second half with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including three triples. He would finish the contest with a career-high 16 points.
Joining Hutching in double figures was Harper, who hit 6-of-10 behind the arc to lead the Golden Eagles with 24. He also added seven boards and a season-high five assists. Carnes scored 11 of his 17 in the second half and finished with eight rebounds.
Gerard Makuntae's effort on the glass single-handedly helped the Drovers to a pivotal 39-34 rebounding advantage as he led the Drovers with 17 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. Moses Byekwaso's 28 points led all scorers as Cameron Hines chipped in with 19. Stephon Hall (12) and Dylan Causwell (10) rounded out USAO's double-digit scorers.
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There will be no time for rest for John Brown as the Golden Eagles return to the court on Tuesday night (Feb. 4) at Central Christian. The tip-off in McPherson is slated for 7:45 p.m.
