LANGSTON, Okla. -- Behind a career effort from sophomore Caelyn Ferguson, the John Brown University women's basketball delivered its most significant result of the season Saturday afternoon (Feb. 14), defeating No. 20 Langston, 64-62, inside C.F. Gayles Fieldhouse to snap the Lions' 31-game home winning streak and secure head coach Sydni Webb's first victory over a ranked opponent.
Ferguson recorded a career-high 28 points, shooting 10-of-13 from the floor, 4-of-6 from three-point range and 4-of-4 at the line. The sophomore accounted for nearly half of JBU's made field goals and provided two fourth-quarter baskets that extended narrow margins. Sophomore Sarah Snodgrass added 15 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Abbey Sanders contributed 12 points and six assists, finishing 5-of-6 at the free-throw line.
The game's three lead changes and three ties all occurred in the opening quarter. After Langston built a five-point advantage midway through the period, John Brown responded with a 12-3 run to turn a 10-5 deficit into a 17-13 lead. The Blue and Gold extended the margin to 12 twice in the second quarter and carried a 35-24 advantage into halftime after Ferguson's triple on the final possession.
JBU (11-15, 9-11 SAC) limited Langston to 32 percent shooting (9-of-28) in the first half, including 21 percent from three-point range (3-of-14). The Lions, who entered the contest ranked nationally, finished at 36 percent overall – marking the first time this season LU shot above 30 percent from the field and still lost.
The hosts narrowed the margin in the third quarter but never regained the lead. Entering the fourth with a nine-point advantage, John Brown saw its lead trimmed to three at the 6:52 mark after a three-pointer cut the score to 51-48. Ferguson and Snodgrass converted two free throws on the ensuing possessions, and another basket from sophomore Erin Merkel pushed the margin back to seven.
The Lions reduced the deficit again in the final two minutes, cutting it to 63-60 with 17 seconds remaining. Sanders split a pair of free throws to extend the lead to four. After a missed three-point attempt, Langston converted a putback at the buzzer.
Langston (23-3, 17-3 SAC) was led by Areyanna Hunter with 15 points and five assists. De'Asia Thomas added 12 points, while Germari Harris scored nine. Amaris Timmons and Alexandria Jefferson each finished with eight. The Lions received 35 bench points but were limited to 25 percent shooting from three-point range and 50 percent at the free-throw line.
JBU held a 36-32 rebounding edge and used a 57 percent shooting effort in the fourth quarter (4-of-7) and converted 9-of-12 at the charity stripe over the final 10 minutes to preserve the road win.
John Brown shot 48 percent from the field (22-of-46), 42 percent from three-point range (8-of-19) and 71 percent at the free-throw line (12-of-17). Langston finished at 36 percent overall (24-of-66), 25 percent from beyond the arc (7-of-28) and 50 percent at the stripe (7-of-14).
Despite committing 27 turnovers that resulted in 34 Langston points, the Golden Eagles maintained a 12-percentage-point field goal advantage and a plus-4 rebounding margin (36-32).
The Golden Eagles return home for its final two-game home stretch of the regular season, beginning with Southwestern Christian (Okla.) on Thursday night (Feb. 19) at 6 p.m., live on the SAC Sports Network and the Urban Edge Network.
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