SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- A prolonged second-quarter scoring drought proved too much to overcome as the John Brown University women's basketball team fell 63-53 to Mid-America Christian (Okla.) on Thursday evening (Dec. 11) inside Bill George Arena.
John Brown (5-7, 3-3 Sooner Athletic) opened the night with a brief four-point advantage in the first quarter, but MACU's defensive pressure and interior control shifted the game decisively in the second. The Evangels (10-1, 5-0 SAC) used a 15-5 second-quarter scoring advantage to seize control and never relinquished the lead to win its tenth straight.
The Golden Eagles struggled to generate offense during that span, shooting just 2-of-14 from the floor in the quarter and missing all eight three-point attempts. JBU entered halftime trailing 32-19 after being held without a field goal for nearly six minutes of game time.
Despite the early hole, John Brown responded with urgency in the second half. Sophomore Sarah Snodgrass anchored the effort with 19 points and a team-high 17 rebounds, continuing her double-double streak to three. Sophomore Caelyn Ferguson added 15 points, while Tayla Trammell knocked down three triples to finish with nine.
JBU found more rhythm offensively in the third and fourth quarters, outscoring MACU 34-31 after halftime and trimming the deficit to 10 points by the end of the contest. However, the Golden Eagles were unable to sustain momentum long enough to fully close the gap.
Mid-America Christian consistently answered each push behind balanced scoring and interior efficiency. The visitors shot 44 percent from the field (27-of-62) and held a 46-34 advantage in points in the paint. Taliah Lee led MACU with 15 points and six rebounds, while Mia Smith added 13 points and seven assists. Talayah Thomas came off the bench to contribute another 13 points.
John Brown finished the night shooting 35 percent from the field (20-of-57) and 7-of-30 from three-point range (23 percent). The Golden Eagles were also limited to just five second-chance points and committed 16 turnovers, which MACU converted into nine points.
The Blue and Gold will look to regroup as conference play continues, with the Golden Eagles returning to action Saturday afternoon (Dec. 13) when Science & Arts (Okla.) invades Bill George Arena in a 2 p.m. tip. The contest will air live on the SAC Sports Network and the Urban Edge Network.
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