SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- The John Brown University women's basketball team used shooting efficiency and, combined with sophomore Sarah Snodgrass' 13th double-double of the season, strong rebounding to earn a 66-61 victory over Texas Wesleyan on Thursday night (Jan. 22) inside Bill George Arena to split the season series.
Snodgrass powered the Golden Eagles (7-12, 5-8 Sooner Athletic) with a dominant performance, finishing with 27 points and 17 rebounds while shooting 8-of-14 from the field and 10-of-15 at the free-throw line. Sophomore Hannah McLain added 11 points off the bench, knocking down all three of her attempts from beyond the arc, while junior Abbey Sanders chipped in nine points and three assists. Sophomore Caelyn Ferguson scored eight points and distributed three assists.
The Blue and Gold opened the game with early control, holding Texas Wesleyan to 28 percent shooting (5-of-18) in the first quarter while building an 18-12 advantage. JBU leaned on perimeter efficiency early, hitting four triples in the opening period, but the Rams responded with its strongest shooting stretch of the night in the second quarter. TXWES went 7-of-15 from the field and 4-of-6 from three in the period to briefly swing momentum and take a 31-29 lead into halftime.
John Brown answered out of the break with its most efficient quarter, shooting 58 percent (7-of-12) from the floor, led by a combined 11 points from Snodgrass and sophomore Lilli Mindeman. McLain also connected on a pair of perimeter looks as the hosts outscored the Rams 17-12 in the frame to move back in front by three, 46-43.
The fourth quarter opened with a 16-6 run from the hosts, fueled by six points from Snodgrass and a key Sanders triple to build a game-high 13-point lead.
Then, Texas Wesleyan mounted a late push, closing the gap with a 10-0 run over a two-minute stretch. Kameryn Phillips sparked the surge with a jumper in the paint before the Rams added points at the free-throw line and in transition, trimming the deficit to 62-59 with 1:16 to play.
JBU responded by closing the game at the free-throw line, hitting 4-of-6 at the charity stripe, preventing TXWES from completing the comeback and sealing the five-point win.
Texas Wesleyan (8-11, 4-9) was led by Phillips, who finished with 22 points, shooting 7-of-15 from the field and 8-of-12 at the stripe while adding seven rebounds. No other Ram reached double figures, with Jenae Moore scoring nine points and Aniyah Sanford adding eight.
John Brown finished the game shooting 44 percent from the field (23-of-52) and 39 percent from three-point range (9-of-23), while converting 11-of-17 at the free throw line. Texas Wesleyan shot 34 percent overall (21-of-61) and 29 percent from beyond the arc (7-of-24), finishing 12-of-16 (75 percent) at the line.
The Golden Eagles held a 42-32 rebounding advantage, including a 16-4 edge in second-chance points, thanks to nine offensive rebounds. JBU committed 16 turnovers to Texas Wesleyan's nine, but limited the damage by holding the Rams to 14 points off those miscues. The hosts also received a lift from its bench, outscoring Texas Wesleyan 19-11 in reserve production.
John Brown now welcomes Nelson (Texas) to Bill George Arena for a 2 p.m. tip to finish off the two-game homestand on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 24). The rematch will be carried live on the SAC Sports Network and the Urban Edge Network.
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