OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The John Brown University women's basketball team led for 39:42 of regulation behind a 27-point, 16-rebound double-double from sophomore Sarah Snodgrass, but third-seeded Nelson (Texas) closed regulation by outscoring JBU 21-15 in the fourth quarter and escaped with a 77-74 overtime decision Thursday night (Feb. 26) in the Sooner Athletic tournament quarterfinal round at Abe Lemons Arena.
Turnovers and free throws swung the margin. John Brown committed 26 turnovers, which Nelson turned into 27 points, and the Lions also finished plus-six at the stripe, shooting 81 percent (17-of-21) compared to 65 percent (11-of-17) for the Blue and Gold in a three-point overtime game.
Snodgrass paced John Brown (13-16) with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting and 16 rebounds, completing her 21st and final double-double of the season. Junior Abbey Sanders added 15 points, knocking down 3-of-7 from three-point range, while sophomore Caelyn Ferguson finished with 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting to go with nine rebounds. Sophomore Hannah McLain scored 13 points off the bench, hitting 3-of-8 from deep, as JBU placed four players in double figures.
The Golden Eagles established control early, holding Nelson to 19 percent shooting (4-of-21) in the opening quarter and taking a 17-9 lead into the second. JBU carried a 30-23 advantage into halftime and led 49-43 after three quarters, limiting Nelson's perimeter production while building the margin with interior scoring and second-chance opportunities.
John Brown pushed the lead to its largest margin of the night at 12 with 3:26 remaining in regulation, but Nelson answered down the stretch with a 16-4 run to erase the deficit. The Lions tied the game at 64-64 at the end of regulation after winning the fourth quarter 21-15.
The Blue and Gold had a chance to ice the game at the line, but two missed free throws allowed the Lions to tie the game on a triple with 18 seconds left in the fourth.
Nelson outscored JBU 13-10 in overtime, building its first and largest lead of the night at three points in the extra period and finishing the game on the right side of a one-possession margin as JBU committed four turnovers in five minutes.
John Brown finished the game shooting 44 percent from the field (28-of-63) and 28 percent from three-point range (7-of-25), while Nelson shot 34 percent overall (28-of-82) and a meager 14 percent from beyond the arc (4-of-29). JBU held a 48-46 rebounding edge, but the turnover margin and free-throw differential offset those advantages.
Nelson (22-5) was led by Paris Miller with 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting and 12 rebounds, while Kate Miller added 14 points on 6-of-21 shooting. Kaitlyn McKenna scored 13 points, Bailee Dorris finished with 11 off the bench, and Abby Boyce added 10 as the Lions produced five players in double-figure scoring.
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