TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. -- A difficult first half shooting effort and a run allowed to close out the first half proved too much as the John Brown University men's basketball team suffered a 77-57 loss on Friday (Nov. 17) night at No. 25 Florida College inside Conn Gymnasium.
Junior Drew Miller hit four triples and finished with a team-leading 17 points, and freshman Ahlante Askew added 12 points, four rebounds and three assists, but the Golden Eagles (2-2) combined to shoot 23 percent (7-of-31) from the floor in the first half and was out-rebounded 37-28 on the evening.
"Florida College outplayed us tonight," head coach Jason Beschta admitted after JBU's second consecutive loss. "They are a tough team, and they've proven that over the last couple of years with their National Championships appearances. They played physical, and were able to win the battle on the boards and keep us from getting too many easy shots around the basket.
"On top of all that, we just didn't shoot the ball well. We don't have time to dwell on it, and that's why triples like this can remedy – a young team that's learning how to take what you can from the last game and move on quickly to the next challenge."
Two ties and a pair of lead changes early produced a 6-all tie just three minutes into the evening, but a 10-1 Falcons run broke the game open as the hosts built a 16-7 lead and never looked back.
John Brown won the turnover battle, 18-14, but allowed the hosts to shoot nearly 50 percent (28-of-57) in its own barn.
Florida College produced four double-digit scorer, paced by Jashavius Perdue's 14 points, seven rebounds and four thefts off the bench. Deonte' Martinez scored 12 and dished out five assists, while Cam Selders added 11 points. Keegan Zoller contributed 10 points and seven rebounds in the win.
The Golden Eagles will wrap up its two-game stretch in the Sunshine State on Saturday (Nov. 18) afternoon when John Brown faces Webber International (Fla.) for the first time in program history. The contest is scheduled to tip at 3 p.m.
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