OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Despite freshman Sarah Snodgrass' game-high 19 points and three Golden Eagles reaching double figures, the John Brown University women's basketball team fell in a hard-fought 61-57 overtime loss to Oklahoma City University on Tuesday evening (Nov. 26) inside Abe Lemons Arena.
The Golden Eagles (4-4, 2-2 Sooner Athletic) overcame a first-half 16-point deficit and held a three-point lead midway through overtime, but a late 6-0 surge from the Stars in overtime allowed the hosts to outscore JBU 11-7 to clinch the win.
Snodgrass finished with 19 points on 7-of-28 shooting, including 2-of-9 from three-point range, while adding 11 rebounds and two blocks to complete her sixth double-double of the season. Freshman Caelyn Ferguson posted added 13 points, hitting 8-of-10 from the free-throw line while junior Abbey Sanders contributed 12 points, shooting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
As a team, JBU struggled all night from the floor shooting just 27 percent from the field (17-of-64), but stayed competitive by converting 13-of-16 (81 percent) from the charity stripe. Defensively, however, JBU registered six blocks and seven steals while forcing 15 turnovers. The visitors limited the Stars to eight second-chance possessions.
JBU erased an early deficit by outscoring Oklahoma City 18-8 in the fourth quarter. Snodgrass sparked the late rally with eight points in the period, while Gottsponer's clutch three-pointer tied the game at 50 with 82 seconds remaining to force overtime. However, the Stars shot 4-of-7 from the floor in the final five minutes, and limited the Golden Eagles to 2-of-5 and a trio of turnovers.
For Oklahoma City (4-5, 4-2), Amaya Gordon led all scorers with 27 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, shooting 11-of-24 from the field. Jerney Bennett was a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor, adding 12 points and five rebounds and five blocks. Brooke Curry chipped in 12 points on four triples, while Cacie Gorman contributed seven boards and three blocks before fouling out.
City was able to swat 18 percent of JBU's shot attempts while shooting 41 percent from the floor (26-of-63). The hosts doubled JBU's output in the paint, 24-12.
JBU returns to action after Thanksgiving break on Thursday (Dec. 5), when the Golden Eagles host Texas Wesleyan to kick off a three-game homestand. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. inside Bill George Arena, with the action available live on the SAC Sports Network.
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