FT. WORTH, Texas -- The John Brown University women's basketball team struggled to find consistent offense and ball security across the middle two quarters, allowing Texas Wesleyan to build separation and hand the Golden Eagles a 70-50 loss Saturday afternoon (Jan. 10) inside the Sid Richardson Center.
Sophomore Sarah Snodgrass led John Brown (5-10, 3-6 Sooner Athletic) with 17 points and eight rebounds, going 5-of-7 at the free-throw line while shouldering a heavy workload in the paint. Sophomore Caelyn Ferguson and freshman Oaklee Lofton followed with nine points apiece, with Lofton connecting on three triples.
The Golden Eagles opened the game efficiently, shooting 55 percent from the field (6-of-11) in the first quarter and briefly leading by two in the early minutes. The Golden Eagles stayed within reach through the opening period, but Texas Wesleyan closed the quarter with a six-point cushion – largely assisted by 12 JBU turnovers in the frame.
Offensive execution faltered for John Brown in the second and third quarters, as the Golden Eagles were held to eight points in each period. JBU shot 25 percent from the field in both the second quarter (3-of-12) and third quarter (3-of-12). By halftime, the Rams had built a 38-22 advantage.
Mindeman's triple with 4:16 left in the half kept the visitors in contention, 27-27, but the Rams closed the period with an 11-1 run to capture momentum back at the intermission.
John Brown found its best rhythm in the fourth, scoring 20 points in the final 10 minutes. The Golden Eagles converted eight at the charity stripe in the quarter (8-of-12), but Texas Wesleyan answered by shooting 86 percent from the field (6-of-7) to keep the margin intact.
Texas Wesleyan (7-8, 3-6) was led by Kameryn Phillips' 15 points, converting 7-of-9 at the free-throw line. Nala Richardson and Kyla Speights each scored 10 points off the bench, while Peyton Foster added eight points on 3-of-4 shooting.
The hosts finished the game shooting 41 percent from the field (24-of-58) and 36 percent from three-point range (5-of-14), while converting 17-of-20 at the line (85 percent). John Brown shot 33 percent overall (17-of-51) and 24 percent from beyond the arc (7-of-29). Turnovers proved too costly for the Blue and Gold, who committed 25 giveaways that Texas Wesleyan turned into 22 points.
The Rams held a 34-11 advantage in bench points and outscored John Brown 36-20 in the paint. TXWES also limited second-chance opportunities, holding JBU to eight points off 12 offensive rebounds.
The Blue and Gold finish its road trip on Thursday night (Jan. 15) in McPherson, Kan. when Central Christian plays host to JBU live on the SAC Sports Network and the Urban Edge Network. Game time is slated for 6 p.m.
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