GOODWELL, Okla. -- Behind a Sarah Snodgrass double-double, the John Brown University women's basketball team edged Oklahoma Panhandle State in a hard-fought 54-51 victory on Thursday evening (Jan. 2) inside Anchor D. Arena.
Armed with a 13-point lead, 54-41, with just under two minutes remaining after sophomore Abbey Sanders connected on her second triple of the evening, the Aggies (1-12, 1-9 Sooner Athletic) mounted a furious 10-0 run, but fell three points shy of tying the game as the Golden Eagles (7-6, 5-4) hung on for its second road win of the season.
Snodgrass led all players with 15 points and hauling in 14 rebounds to complete her 10th double-double of the season. Freshman Riley Gottsponer scored 15 points on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting performance while Sanders contributed 12 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. Freshman Caelyn Ferguson added 10 points on a 4-of-9 shooting effort.
The Aggies opened strong, using a pair of three-pointers from Gaby Uribe and Lyric Carpenter to take a 14-13 lead after the first quarter. John Brown responded with a suffocating defensive effort in the second quarter, holding Panhandle State to just six points while scoring 15 of their own.
Ferguson netted six – consecutive – of her 10 points in the second quarter, and the Golden Eagles, facing a 19-15 deficit, rattled off a pivotal 13-1 run over the final six minutes of the second period to take a 28-20 lead into the intermission. Gottsponer's triple started the run, and the visitors then dominated in the post with four consecutive layups to build a double-digit advantage.
The Blue and Gold momentum continued into the third quarter, with JBU netting a 12-6 run through the first half of the frame, led by Snodgrass' perfect shooting effort in the period, hitting 3-of-3 from the field and adding two free throws. However, Panhandle State began to chip away at the deficit, reducing the 14-point John Brown cushion back to 10, 45-35, heading into the fourth.
The Aggies mounted a furious comeback in the final quarter, outscoring JBU 16-9 and cutting the lead to just three points with under a minute to play. OPSU's Zamari Reece kept Panhandle State within striking distance with a last second triple, but the late 13-point deficit was too much for the Aggies to overcome.
Reece paced the Aggies with 15 points off the bench, while Carpenter added 13 points. Heidi Rodriguez chipped in with 10 points, four assists, and two steals in the loss.
The Golden Eagles dominated the boards, finishing with a 38-18 rebounding edge, including eight offensive rebounds. JBU also outscored the Aggies 28-14 in the paint, but turnovers proved costly, as Panhandle State capitalized on 16 JBU miscues to score 18 points off turnovers, compared to just 11 for the Golden Eagles. Both teams struggled with shooting consistency, with JBU hitting 39 percent of shots (19-of-49) and OPSU shooting 35 percent (19-of-55). The hosts also excelled from beyond the arc, converting 47 percent (8-of-17).
With the victory, John Brown looks to open the new year with a weekend sweep. The Golden Eagles return to action on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 4) when they travel to Plainview to face Wayland Baptist (Texas) at 2:00 PM. Live coverage will be available on the SAC Sports Network.
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