SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Sophomore Jack Ullom poured in a game-high 25 points as the John Brown University men's basketball team treated more than 800 fourth- and fifth-grade students from the Siloam Springs School District to a 105-86 victory over Central Methodist (Mo.) Monday morning (Nov. 9) in the annual Scream Game inside Bill George Arena.

The Golden Eagles (5-0) connected on 10-of-14 three-point attempts in a blistering 62-point opening half, building a 25-point advantage at the interval before stretching their lead to as many as 30 after the break. John Brown finished with 14 triples on 50.0 percent shooting from downtown, while three players reached double figures and 12 different Golden Eagles entered the scoring column as the Blue and Gold remained unbeaten.

The Golden Eagles established control from the opening tip, scoring on each of their first four possessions while forcing Central Methodist into three consecutive empty trips, including two turnovers, to build an 11-0 advantage. That early defensive pressure continued throughout the opening half, as JBU forced nine turnovers and converted them into 21 points before intermission, complementing its hot perimeter shooting with 14 assists on 24 made baskets.

Ullom turned in his highest-scoring performance of the young season, connecting on 8-of-14 field-goal attempts, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 5-of-5 at the charity stripe. The sophomore erupted for 19 points in the second half and collected six rebounds, including five on the offensive glass, while playing just 22 minutes.

Senior Trae Oetting supplied 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, knocking down both of his three-point attempts while adding two assists and two rebounds. Senior Marko Malekinusic rounded out the double-figure scorers with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including two triples, while contributing four rebounds and three assists.

Sophomore Fred Rogers III added nine points on 4-of-6 shooting and collected five rebounds, while senior Judah Simfukwe, senior Jay Baxter and junior Patrick Odingo chipped in eight points apiece. Simfukwe distributed a team-high four assists, while Baxter contributed five boards and three helpers as John Brown received 35 points from its reserves.

Freshman Nicolás Serra made an impact in just 10 minutes off the bench, supplying four points, five rebounds, three assists and a game-high-tying three steals. Rogers matched his three takeaways, while freshman Samuel Hinsey knocked down a pair of triples for six points.

The Golden Eagles wasted little time finding their offensive rhythm, opening the contest with an Oetting jumper before Malekinusic and Ullom connected on consecutive triples. Simfukwe followed with another trey at the 18:22 mark, and after Alejandro Delgado finally put Central Methodist on the board from downtown, Malekinusic added a second-chance bucket to keep the hosts firmly in control.

Baxter connected from long range to extend the advantage to 16-3 with 17:08 remaining, and Odingo supplied a bucket before junior Raziel Taylor joined the perimeter barrage. Oetting later added another finish in the paint, and Ullom knocked down his second triple of the morning to push the lead to 26-9 at the 13:41 mark.

Baxter followed with a basket to stretch the advantage to 19, but Central Methodist gradually began to find opportunities inside. Austin Prater scored six consecutive points for the visitors, including a transition bucket, to trim the deficit to 34-19 with 8:20 remaining.

The Blue and Gold responded with consecutive baskets from Malekinusic and sophomore Maliq Sosa before Oetting buried a triple to restore an 18-point cushion, 41-23, at the 5:13 mark. Rogers then converted in the paint, and Hinsey knocked down a pair of three-pointers less than a minute apart to extend the advantage to 49-27 with 3:08 remaining before halftime.

John Brown continued to generate opportunities through its defensive pressure, with Serra collecting a steal before setting up Simfukwe for a triple that made it 58-33 with 1:18 remaining. Oetting added two free throws, and Rogers converted a jumper with five seconds left to send the Golden Eagles into the locker room holding a commanding 62-37 lead.

JBU shot 61.5 percent (24-of-39) from the field during the opening 20 minutes, including a remarkable 71.4 percent from three-point range. Central Methodist managed just 42.9 percent (12-of-28) from the floor and 1-of-9 from downtown, with 12 of its first-half points coming at the free-throw line.

Ullom picked up where the Golden Eagles left off after intermission, taking control of the offense during the opening minutes of the second half. After Simfukwe opened the period with a bucket, Ullom connected from downtown, added another basket in the paint and converted a three-point play before burying his fourth triple of the afternoon to push JBU ahead 75-46 with 16:39 remaining.

Malekinusic followed with another three-pointer to give John Brown its largest advantage of the contest, 78-48, with 16:05 left. Ullom accounted for 11 of the Golden Eagles' first 16 points after halftime, helping the hosts extend their commanding lead despite an improved offensive effort from the visitors.

Central Methodist responded with seven unanswered points, including a three-point play from Delgado, to trim the margin to 78-55 with 14:28 remaining. Rogers answered with a second-chance finish, and Oetting followed with a triple before Ullom added consecutive baskets in the paint to restore a 26-point cushion, 87-61, with 12:15 to play.

The visitors continued to find success around the basket, using a 9-2 stretch to cut the deficit to 89-70 with 8:53 remaining. Baxter supplied a bucket for JBU before Damian Thompson Jr. answered, but Oetting converted in the paint and Ullom knocked down two free throws to push the Golden Eagles back ahead 95-72 with 6:27 left.

Rogers added another bucket before Ullom converted two more attempts from the stripe, becoming the first Golden Eagle to reach 25 points this season as JBU crossed the century mark, 100-74, with 4:22 remaining. Sophomore Ma'aiki Dauda later supplied a basket, and Serra connected on two free throws as the hosts continued to work their reserves into the contest.

Central Methodist scored eight of the game's final nine points, highlighted by five from Will Hemme and a pair of baskets from Ikemba Otuonye, to establish the 105-86 final. The visitors shot 64.3 percent (18-of-28) in the second half and outscored John Brown 49-43 over the final 20 minutes, but never reduced their deficit below 19 after intermission.

The Golden Eagles finished 52.0 percent (39-of-75) from the field and 14-of-28 from beyond the arc, while Central Methodist connected on 53.6 percent (30-of-56) overall but just 3-of-15 (20.0 percent) from downtown. The visitors held an advantage at the free-throw line, converting 23-of-29 attempts compared to JBU's 13-of-21 performance.

John Brown won the rebounding battle by 10, collecting 37 boards to 27 for Central Methodist, including a commanding 19-7 advantage on the offensive glass. The Blue and Gold outscored the visitors 16-8 in second-chance points and 25-11 off turnovers, while finishing with 20 assists against just 10 turnovers and collecting 10 steals.

Delgado paced Central Methodist (2-3) with 21 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Otuonye supplied 12 points and six boards off the bench. Thompson, Prater, Hemme and Kamren Hayes each contributed 10 points as six visitors reached double figures.

John Brown continues its four-game homestand Saturday afternoon (Nov. 14) when the Golden Eagles welcome Columbia (Mo.) to Bill George Arena for a 2 p.m. non-conference matchup. The contest will be carried live on the SAC Sports Network.

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