SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Behind a 17-of-22 effort at the charity stripe and senior Drew Miller's second double-double of the season, the John Brown University men's basketball team scored an 81-67 victory over Southwestern Christian (Okla.) in Sooner Athletic Conference action on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 1) inside Bill George Arena.
The Golden Eagles (14-8, 12-6 Sooner Athletic) were led by Miller, who delivered a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 7-of-11 from the floor. Freshman Carter Carbonell provided a key spark from beyond the arc, finishing with 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting from deep, while sophomore Trae Oetting contributed 10 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in JBU's season sweep of the Eagles.
John Brown shot 42 percent (27-of-65) from the field and knocked down 10 three-pointers while limiting Southwestern Christian (4-18, 2-17) to just six free throws. The Golden Eagles controlled the glass with a 44-29 rebounding advantage and converted 17 offensive rebounds into 18 second-chance points.
Deondre Dunn paced Southwestern Christian with 20 points, hitting three triples while collecting four steals. Michal Wooldridge added 12 points and six rebounds, while Ahmad Kennedy chipped in eight points and four rebounds.
After four lead changes through the first 15 minutes of action, John Brown wrestled back control of the game for good, capitalizing on a 16-4 run to close out the first half. Carbonell poured in a pair of triples during the run, and the rally turned a 19-19 tie into a 34-23 advantage at the intermission.
The Eagles pulled within six early in the second half, but Miller and Carbonell combined for 12 points in a 20-7 run to push JBU's lead back to double digits. The Golden Eagles led by as many as 22 in the final five minutes, sealing the win with strong free-throw shooting and defensive stops.
JBU committed a season-low eight personal fouls on the afternoon and hit 80 points on the scoreboard for the eight time this season. The Golden Eagles are 8-0 in those games.
John Brown returns to action on Thursday night (Feb. 6) when it visits Fort Worth to take on Texas Wesleyan inside the Sid Richardson Center. The tip is slated for 7:45 p.m., with live coverage available on the SAC Sports Network.
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