SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- The John Brown University men's basketball team rode stellar performances from junior LePra George Jr. and senior Drew Miller to an 76-70 win over Mid-America Christian (Okla.) on Thursday night (Nov. 21) at Bill George Arena in Sooner Athletic action.
John Brown (4-2, 2-0 Sooner Athletic) trailed at the half, 31-27, and shot just 9-of-30 (30 percent) from the field. The second half was a different story, however, as the hosts sunk nearly 60 percent (18-of-31) from the floor, including seven triples to stave off the Evangels' comeback bid.
George led all scorers with 27 points – scoring 19 in the second half, shooting 11-of-19 from the floor, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. He added five assists and three rebounds to his stat line. Miller contributed 26 points on a 8-of-15 shooting effort, knocking down six triples on 10 attempts and pulling in four boards. Sophomore Trae Oetting finished with 11 points and four helpers.
The Golden Eagles again capitalized on efficient shooting, connecting on 50 percent from three-point range (12-of-24) and 44 percent from the field overall (27-of-61), while controlling the tempo in the second half to secure the victory.
While MACU held a 38-30 edge on the glass and a 49-26 margin in the paint, JBU committed just eight turnovers and shot 11-of-16 inside the arc in the final 20 minutes to accompany its seven second-half triples.
The game opened with the Golden Eagles taking an early 12-8 lead, but MACU (5-3, 2-2) retaliated with a 21-11 run to pull ahead, 29-23, late in the first half. A Miller triple late helped John Brown pull back within four by the intermission.
In the second half, George and Miller continued their collective sharpshooting, scoring 33 of the hosts' 49 points in the period. The Evangels enjoyed its largest lead at 47-39, but a few minutes later, a key 8-0 run, capped by a Miller three-pointer, tied the game at 56 apiece with 7:32 remaining. In the final six minutes of action, George hit three triples and Oetting added another from long range, bolstering the Golden Eagles to a game-ending 15-8 run. MACU committed three turnovers in the final minutes, and the JBU defense held the visitors to 30 percent shooting (3-of-10) from behind the arc in the final frame.
For MACU, Fulcher led the way with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, while Juwan White added 14.
The Golden Eagles return to action on Saturday (Nov. 23), traveling to face Southwestern Christian (Okla.) in another conference showdown. Tipoff is set for 2:45 p.m., and fans can catch the action live on the SAC Sports Network.
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