PLAINVIEW, Texas -- Despite a valiant effort from freshman Sarah Snodgrass, who recorded her 11th double-double of the season, the John Brown University women's basketball team fell to conference-leading No. 12 Wayland Baptist (Texas), 78-65, on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 4) inside the Hutcherson Center.
The Golden Eagles (7-7, 5-5 Sooner Athletic) faced an uphill battle from the outset, as the Flying Queens built a 13-point lead in the first quarter. While JBU clawed back with an explosive second quarter, scoring 30 points, a cold-shooting third period allowed the hosts to regain control despite the visitors outscoring the Flying Queens by an 18-12 margin in the fourth.
Snodgrass led all scorers with 23 points, shooting 9-of-16 from the field while adding 11 rebounds, while freshman Caelyn Ferguson added 13 points, including three triples. Sophomore Abbey Sanders contributed six points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and a team-high six assists. Freshman Riley Gottsponer chipped in eight points and seven rebounds for the Blue and Gold.
Wayland took control early, converting 10-of-21 field goal attempts in the first quarter to open up a 23-10 lead. The Flying Queens' aggressive play on the boards, highlighted by six offensive rebounds in the opening frame, stifled JBU's transition opportunities. JBU managed just four field goals in the quarter, compounded by committing six of its 13 turnovers in the period.
The second quarter saw JBU's offense spring to life, as the Golden Eagles outscored WBU 30-22 to trim the deficit to five at halftime. Snodgrass poured in 11 points during the frame and a pair of Sanders' triples in the final two minutes of the half allowed the visitors to scrape together an 11-5 run. John Brown shot 57 percent from the floor (12-of-21) in the quarter, entering the break trailing 45-40.
After halftime, the Flying Queens limited JBU to just seven points in the third quarter. Megan Nestor, who finished with 21 points and 18 rebounds, dominated inside, scoring 10 points and pulling down eight boards in the third alone. The Golden Eagles struggled to generate open looks, shooting just 21 percent (3-of-14) from the floor, allowing WBU to extend its lead to 66-47 entering the fourth.
JBU's defense held the hosts to 2-of-10 shooting to open the fourth as Snodgrass and Ferguson combined for 10 points in a 12-6 run that cut the visitors' deficit to 13. However, the Blue and Gold could only manage three points – a Gottsponer triple – over the final three minutes to close out the contest.
Wayland Baptist's depth and rebounding proved decisive, as the hosts out-rebounded JBU, 46-39, including 16 offensive boards that led to 11 second-chance points. JBU's bench managed just nine points compared to WBU's 18, while turnovers resulted in 14 points for the Flying Queens.
Nestor led Wayland Baptist with 21 points, 18 rebounds, and three steals, dominating on both ends of the floor. Kaitlyn Jerden added 17 points and four assists, while Bobbie Fouquet contributed 15 points, hitting four three-pointers to stretch the JBU defense.
The Golden Eagles will look to bounce back on Thursday (Jan. 9) when they return to Bill George Arena to host Nelson (Texas), live on the SAC Sports Network. The tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
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