SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- The John Brown University women's basketball team battled to a 10-point lead late in the third quarter, but the offense grew cold quickly in the fourth quarter, allowing No. 24 Mid-America Christian (Okla.) to mount a comeback as the Golden Eagles fell in a 71-62 setback on Thursday night (Nov. 21) inside Bill George Arena.
The Golden Eagles (3-3, 1-1 Sooner Athletic) kept pace with the undefeated Evangels for much of the contest but were outscored 21-10 in the fourth quarter, allowing the visitors to pull away in the closing minutes. JBU shot just 2-of-11 from the floor in the final period after shooting 48 percent (19-of-40) through 30 minutes of action.
Freshman Riley Gottsponer led the Golden Eagles with a career-high 22 points, shooting 8-of-11 from the field, including a 5-of-6 performance from beyond the arc. She also added a career-best four blocks in the setback.
Freshman Sarah Snodgrass chipped in 15 points, 11 of which came in the second half, while fellow freshman Caelyn Ferguson added 11 points and three assists. Freshman Carley Sexton scored a career-high 11 points on an impressive 4-of-7 shooting night.
JBU shot 41 percent from both the field overall (21-of-51) and from three-point range (11-of-27), but the Golden Eagles were unable to capitalize on second chances, finishing with zero second-chance points off two offensive rebounds. MACU, meanwhile, turned 16 offensive boards into a 23 second-chance points.
JBU started strong, holding the Evangels to just 14 points in the opening quarter while trailing 14-13 after a late Gottsponer triple and a Snodgrass jumper in the final minute. A second-quarter three-pointer from junior Carley Sexton gave JBU its first lead of the game at 23-21, but both teams traded triples in the final moments of the frame as the hosts carried a two-point lead into the break.
The third quarter saw a timely Gottsponer old-fashioned three-point play before the Golden Eagles made its move. Then, over a 2:58 span, the Blue and Gold hit 6-of-9 from the floor – with Snodgrass and Ferguson each scoring five points – to rally on a 15-6 run that produced a game-high 10-point lead for John Brown with 2:58 remaining. Then, the Evangels had its response, securing a 12-4 run in the final three minutes to recapture the momentum heading into the fourth.
For the Evangels (8-0, 4-0), Kylee Scheer led the way with 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Shy Christopher and Harley Harbour added 16 points apiece, with Harbour also collecting seven rebounds. MACU's commanding rebounding edge (43-27) helped produced 58 points in the paint.
JBU's next test comes on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 23) when the Golden Eagles travel to Bethany, Okla. to take on Southwestern Christian. Live on the SAC Sports Network, tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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