SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- The John Brown University men's basketball team weathered an efficient first half from Mid-America Christian (Okla.) and asserted control with a composed, physical second-half performance Thursday night (Dec. 11), pulling away for an 82-68 victory inside Bill George Arena.
The Golden Eagles (8-3, 5-1 Sooner Athletic) trailed by two at the break after the Evangels connected on nearly 60 percent of its first-half attempts, but JBU flipped the tone of the game after halftime with defensive pressure, rebounding and balanced scoring. MACU was limited to 23 second-half points as John Brown steadily created separation over the final 10 minutes.
Four Golden Eagles reached double figures, led by juniors Trae Oetting and Donovan Lovelace, who scored 17 points apiece. Lovelace added a season-high 14 rebounds, anchoring a rebounding effort that proved decisive as the game wore on. Junior Marko Malekinusic followed with 15 points on four triples, while senior LePra George contributed 14 points and a season-high six assists as the hosts buried 12-of-25 from long range (48 percent).
The opening half unfolded as a back-and-forth affair, with neither side able to establish sustained control. John Brown countered Mid-America Christian's interior scoring with perimeter efficiency, shooting 8-of-10 from behind the arc before the break to stay within striking distance despite the visitors' hot shooting. The teams traded leads repeatedly - six times in the first half alone - as MACU carried a narrow 45-43 edge into the intermission.
The game remained neck-and-neck through the first half of the latter period, but facing a three-point deficit, the hosts pieced together a decisive run.
John Brown tightened its defensive rotations, challenged shots in the lane, and began to extend possessions as the Golden Eagles put together a defining six-minute stretch, outscoring Mid-America Christian 14-5 while holding the Evangels to 2-of-6 shooting and converting 6-of-11 attempts themselves to turn a one-possession game into an eight-point cushion, 71-63.
The Golden Eagles' work on the offensive glass underscored the second-half turnaround. John Brown secured eight offensive rebounds after halftime, converting those into 10 second-chance points in the second half alone, allowing the hosts to control tempo and prevent MACU from regaining momentum.
The visitors found only one field goal over the final 8:00 of action.
John Brown finished the night with a 42-26 rebounding advantage and outscored the Evangels 39-23 after the break. The Golden Eagles also maintained poise at the free-throw line, knocking down 9-of-10 attempts in the second half to close the game cleanly.
Mid-America Christian (7-3, 2-3 SAC) was led by Morris Williams' 20 points and Clay Baldwin's 15 off the bench, but the Evangels cooled significantly after halftime, shooting under 30 percent in the second half (8-of-27) as John Brown dictated the closing stages.
John Brown continues conference play this weekend, returning to action Saturday afternoon (Dec. 13) as the Golden Eagles look to finish the first semester on a five-game SAC winning streak when they face Science &Amp; Arts (Okla.) at 4 p.m. live on the SAC Sports Network and the Urban Edge Network.
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