BETHANY, Okla. -- The John Brown University men's basketball team used a 25-7 second-half surge to flip a three-point deficit into a double-digit cushion and pulled away for a 97-81 victory over Southwestern Christian (Okla.) on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 6) inside Pickens-Springer Gymnasium.
Junior Donovan Lovelace led four Golden Eagles (7-3, 4-1 Sooner Athletic) in double figures with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, adding two assists and a pair of steals while attacking efficiently off the dribble. Junior Trae Oetting followed with 20 points, buoyed by a 9-of-13 effort at the line, while Senio LePra George complemented the backcourt effort with a season-best 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting and secured a team-high nine rebounds, including three on the offensive glass.
Junior Marko Malekinusic finished with 15 points, hitting four threes and adding two rebounds, while senior Josh Stewart contributed nine points, four rebounds, and a team-high five assists. Off the bench, freshman Maliq Sosa chipped in seven points and five rebounds.
JBU shot 62 percent (13-of-21) from the field after halftime and converted 24-of-29 at the foul line, using both interior efficiency and repeated trips to the stripe to widen the margin. On the afternoon, the Blue and Gold finished at 54 percent (30-of-56) overall and 39 percent from behind the arc while limiting its turnovers to just nine.
"Another gritty effort today against an SCU team that has been playing really well," head coach Jason Beschta admitted as the Golden Eagles won its fourth straight. "We applied consistent pressure in the paint with several strong drives and did a great job earning points at the foul line. This was a balanced attack that received solid contributions from everyone. This group continues to push each other and grow together."
After SCU's final lead came on a Kameron Burris three-pointer at the 13:47 mark of the second half, the Golden Eagles responded with 25 points over the next eight minutes while holding the hosts to just seven. JBU forced four turnovers in that span and turned defensive stops into scoring chances. Seven different players scored during the stretch, while Malekinusic knocked down a timely triple and added two free throws, and Carbonell and Oetting combined for nine points as the Golden Eagles built a 12-point advantage that wouldn't be threatened the remainder of the afternoon.
JBU's defensive presence and effort on the glass held SCU to 39 percent shooting (13-of-33) in the second half and the Blue and Gold generated 23 points off turnovers – with 17 coming before intermission. JBU also owned a 34-28 advantage in points in the paint and held the hosts to just two fast-break points.
Jalen Goar and Michal Wooldridge each finished with 23 points to lead Southwestern Christian (5-5, 3-2), combining for eight three-pointers and 15 made free throws. Wooldridge added 14 rebounds, including 11 on the defensive end, and the Eagles posted a 40-29 rebounding advantage overall.
The Golden Eagles return home next week to host a pair of SAC contests before the Christmas break, beginning with a Thursday evening (Dec. 11) matchup against Mid-America Christian (Okla.) inside Bill George Arena. The 8 p.m. tip will air live on the SAC Sports Network and the Urban Edge Network.
