PLAINVIEW, Texas -- Despite a seventh 20-point outing of the season from senior Drew Miller, the John Brown University men's basketball team fell 82-75 at No. 12 Wayland Baptist (Texas) on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 4) inside the Hutcherson Center in the SAC Game of the Week.
The Golden Eagles (9-5, 7-3 Sooner Athletic) trailed by as many as 15 points late in the second half but mounted a spirited comeback attempt, cutting the deficit to six in the final minutes. However, the Pioneers (10-5, 10-1) shot 15-of-21 from the charity stripe in the second half to remain atop the conference standings.
Miller led the way for JBU with 24 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, shooting 7-of-18 from the floor, including five triples. Junior Elijah Lawrence added 18 points off the bench, shooting an efficient 7-of-12 from the field, while sophomore Trae Oetting contributed seven points, two rebounds, and a team-high five assists.
JBU started the game strong, using three consecutive triples to take its first lead of the afternoon, 21-16, midway through the first half. Junior Josh Stewart later added a triple, as did Miller, to tie the game at 27 apiece. However, the visitors' offense stalled, scoring just one field goal over the final seven minutes of the first half, allowing Wayland to take an eight-point lead into the intermission.
Junior Klei Nagode opened the second with a dunk, and Lawrence's triple at the 16:53 mark completed a 10-3 Golden Eagle run to pull the Blue and Gold within one, 42-41. The offense went back into a drought, however, as the Pioneers pieced together a 15-2 run over a six-minute span that blew the game wide open. A LePra George Jr. and-one alongside triples from Stewart and Lawrence clawed John Brown back to within nine, 74-65, but the difference could only be whittled down to six on three occasions in the final minute before the visitors ran out of time to complete the comeback.
Wayland Baptist's balanced attack featured three double-digit scorers, led by Coleman's game-high 31 points, which included five three-pointers. Kabine Kuba hit 8-of-9 from the line off the bench to add 15 points, nine rebounds, and two steals, while Dylan McDougal chipped in 10 points in the win.
JBU finished the game shooting 41 percent from the field (26-of-63) and 37 percent from beyond the arc (13-of-35). Despite holding a narrow 42-41 rebounding edge, the Golden Eagles struggled with turnovers, committing 13 miscues that led to 15 points for the Pioneers. The Wayland Baptist bench outscored JBU's reserves 29-23.
The Golden Eagles return to action on Thursday (Jan. 9) when they host Nelson (Texas) at Bill George Arena in Siloam Springs. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m., with live coverage available on the SAC Sports Network.
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