POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. -- The John Brown University men's basketball team closed repeatedly within one possession down the stretch but could not fully erase an early deficit, falling 56-53 to College of the Ozarks on Monday night (Jan. 19) inside Keeter Gymnasium.
Senior Donovan Lovelace led the Golden Eagles with 12 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, adding three offensive boards. Sophomore Carter Carbonell came off the bench to provide 12 points, shooting 4-of-9 from the field and 2-of-6 from three-point range, while junior Trae Oetting and senior Josh Stewart finished with nine points apiece, with Stewart knocking down three triples.
John Brown (9-9, 6-6 Sooner Athletic) trailed by nine at halftime after a first half in which College of the Ozarks built its advantage from the perimeter. The Bobcats shot 50 percent from three-point range in the opening half (6-of-12) to take a 34-25 lead into the break.
In response, the visitors outscored COFO 28-22 in the second half, trimming the deficit and keeping the game within reach into the final minutes.
John Brown closed within one possession five times in the final minutes but was unable to overtake the Bobcat lead. Oetting and Carbonell each had long-range attempts in the final minute to give JBU the advantage, but the shots would not fall. After fouling and COFO splitting its trip to the line, Stewart launched a last-second half-court heave in an effort to tie the game at the buzzer, but the 47-foot prayer finished off target.
The Blue and Gold finished the night with a 38-28 rebounding advantage, including 12 offensive rebounds, which produced 12 second-chance points. The hosts offset its second-half shooting dip by getting to the free-throw line, converting 12-of-18 attempts after halftime to maintain its narrow margin.
The JBU defense held the Bobcats to five made field goals in the second (5-of-19).
Neither team shot well, as the Golden Eagles finished the night shooting 34 percent from the field (20-of-59) and 24 percent from three-point range (8-of-34), including 18 percent from beyond the arc in the second half (4-of-22). The Bobcats shot 38 percent from the field (18-of-48) and 33 percent from three-point range (6-of-18) for the game.
John Brown went 5-of-7 at the free-throw line, while College of the Ozarks converted 14-of-20.
College of the Ozarks (8-10, 5-7 SAC) was led by Garrett Snyder, who finished with 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including a perfect 3-of-3 mark from behind the arc. Jay Baxter added 12-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Andrew Dalton chipped in eight points.
John Brown continues its three-game week on Thursday night (Jan. 22) when the Golden Eagles welcome Texas Wesleyan to Bill George Arena for a 6 p.m. tip. The clash will be aired live on the SAC Sports Network and the Urban Edge Network.
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