DALLAS -- Despite a strong defensive performance and a late comeback effort, the John Brown University men's basketball team could not overcome a cold shooting night, falling 60-54 to North Texas at Dallas inside Ellis Davis Jr. Field House on Monday night (Feb. 24).
The Golden Eagles (18-10, 16-8 SAC) forced 17 turnovers and held North Texas to just 26 percent from three-point range (5-of-19), but shot 30 percent (21-of-70) from the field themselves – including 23 percent in the first half – and connected on just 25 percent of its three-point attempts (8-of-32).
"UNTD really came out of the gates well tonight, and we just couldn't seem to get going or string together enough plays. But I am so proud of the way our guys regrouped at halftime and came out to make a run at them, giving ourselves a chance down the stretch.
"This group does not run out of fight. Now we move on to tournament play, and no game matters except the one in front of us."
The setback forces John Brown into the fifth seed for the upcoming Sooner Athletic tournament. The Blue and Gold will travel to face the four seed, Wayland Baptist, inside the Hutcherson Center in the quarterfinal round on Thursday evening (Feb. 27) at 8 p.m.
Senior Drew Miller paced JBU with 15 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, while junior Elijah Lawrence added 11 points, four steals, and three assists. Sophomore Trae Oetting also finished in double figures, contributing 11 points and seven rebounds.
The Trailblazers (13-14, 10-14 SAC) leaned on Greg Crawford's double-double and 10-of-12 effort from the charity stripe as he finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds to help the hosts hold off JBU's late push. Demaryon Thornton and Vernon Johnson each chipped in 11 points, with Johnson also collecting eight rebounds and four steals.
The hosts finished shooting 40 percent from the field while maintaining a 42-38 rebounding advantage.
John Brown struggled out of the gate, making just one of its first 11 shot attempts, allowing North Texas to build a 12-3 lead midway through the first half. A three-pointer from Oetting and back-to-back baskets from junior Lukas Gabani and Lawrence helped cut the deficit to 14-9, but the hosts rallied on yet another 13-0 run in the final five minutes of the half to build a 16-point lead at the intermission, 34-18.
JBU continued to battle in the second half, and used a quick 12-2 run to claw back into the contest after back-to-back Klei Nagode layups. While the offense again went dormant for a pivotal five-minute span, Miller then took over and scored three triples and 12 points in total, nearly willing the Golden Eagle back into contention with a 15-5 run over a 4:32 span that pulled JBU back within seven, 54-47.
In the final three minutes, Gabani scored a layup and a tip-in, but with the margin narrowed to just four, Oetting's final jumper slipped John Brown within one possession. UNTD's Daniel Sohn split his free throws and returned the difference to four, and Oetting's final jumper wouldn't fall, but spring the hosts on a fast break the other way for a final bucket.
Despite the loss, John Brown won the battle on the offensive glass, finishing with a 14-4 edge in second-chance points. However, the Golden Eagles were out-rebounded 42-38, struggled to convert in the paint, and could not find their rhythm from long range.
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