SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- The John Brown University Golden Eagles used a consistent tempo and a balanced attack to clinch their spot in the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament on Thursday night at Bill George Arena.
JBU (12-15, 10-11 Sooner Athletic) tallied at least 15 points in each quarter against Southwestern Christian University (11-14, 8-13), and the Golden Eagles stingy defense in the opening half helped JBU build a half-time lead that proved insurmountable, as JBU held on for the 69-64 win.
SCU scored four points in the opening three minutes of the game, but JBU locked things down from there in the opening 10 minutes. The Golden Eagled held SCU scoreless for more than six minutes, and in that span JBU put together a 10-0 run that helped the Golden Eagles build a 15-4 lead. The Golden Eagled held SCU to just 23.1% shooting in the opening frame, and they forced four SCU turnovers as well. JBU also controlled the glass, out-rebounding the Eagles in the period 14-7, and that led to a 12-6 edge in points in the paint, and a 4-0 scoring advantage on second chance opportunities.
JBU managed the gap for much of the second frame. The Golden Eagles were unable to get the margin above 10 points until late in the second quarter, but neither did they allow the lead to dip below eight. Abbey Sanders scored with 31 seconds to play in the half, and that pushed the JBU lead to 12 - the largest margin they enjoyed in the half - and at the break, JBU led 30-19.
Coming out of the break, JBU asserted control early in the third quarter. The Golden Eagles scored 15 of the first 24 points in the second half, and in that nearly six minute span, the JBU lead swelled all the way to 17 at 45-28 with 3:14 to play in the stanza.
Over the final three minutes of the quarter, though, SCU rallied. The Eagles closed the frame on a 17-6 run, as they made seven field goals to only two for JBU, and entering the final quarter, the Golden Eagles led by only six, 51-45.
SCU carried the momentum into the final frame, as SCU scored nine points in the opening 2:39 of the stanza, and that helped them trim the JBU lead to one at 55-54. JBU got two big buckets in the next 90 seconds, as Sarah Snodgrass and Abbey Sanders each scored to push the lead back to six at 60-54 with 5:47 to play. SCU scored the next six to tie the score, but Snodgrass responded with four points in a quick five-point run that gave JBU the lead back at 65-60 with 2:09 left on the clock. SCU mounted one final charge as they cut the gap to 65-64 with 37 seconds to go in the game, but Sanders and Lilli Mindeman each cashed in a pair of free throws as JBU sealed the game at the line for the 69-64 win.
JBU made 24 of 58 (41.4%) shots in the game overall, and the biggest difference was at the foul line where JBU was 17-for-22 (77.3%). JBU also dominated on the glass, out-rebounding SCU 41-26.
The Blue and Gold will wrap up the 2025-26 regular season on Saturday (Feb. 21) at 2 p.m. when they welcome the Oklahoma City University Stars (10-17, 6-15 SAC) for Senior Day festivities.
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