GOODWELL, Okla. -- The John Brown University women's basketball team used a steady third-quarter response and held the hosts to 21 percent shooting in the frame to regain control and hold on late for a 60-57 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State on Wednesday night (Feb. 5) inside Anchor D Arena.
Sophomore Sarah Snodgrass led the Golden Eagles with 22 points and eight rebounds, going 8-of-19 from the field and 6-of-8 at the free-throw line while sophomore Caelyn Ferguson added 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Freshman Oaklee Lofton chipped in nine points, knocking down three triples, and sophomore Erin Merkel provided a lift off the bench with six points, five rebounds and two blocks.
The Blue and Gold (9-14, 7-10 Sooner Athletic) built an early cushion behind efficient first-quarter execution, shooting 44 percent from the field (8-of-18) and opening a seven-point advantage after 10 minutes. The Aggies answered in the second quarter, using points off JBU turnovers and bench production to erase the deficit and briefly move in front. An old-fashioned three-point play from Snodgrass and a Ferguson jumper in the lane just before the buzzer evened the score for the visitors heading into the intermission.
The opening half featured frequent swings, with the teams combining for seven lead changes and five ties, but control shifted decisively after intermission. John Brown answered OPSU's second-quarter push with a composed third-quarter response that ultimately created separation.
Tied coming out of the break, the Golden Eagles delivered a 13-3 run over a six-minute span to take command, 47-37. Freshman Tayla Trammell sparked the stretch with a three, and John Brown steadily built the margin through assisted interior finishes and timely perimeter looks. Ferguson and Snodgrass converted back-to-back layups in transition, Lofton connected from behind the arc, and the Blue and Gold closed the run with scores on consecutive possessions to push the lead to double digits.
John Brown won the third quarter 15-8, shooting 46 percent (6-of-13) while holding OPSU to 3-of-14 from the floor. The Golden Eagles also turned defense into offense, converting Aggies miscues into seven points in the frame.
Oklahoma Panhandle State (5-17, 2-14 SAC) attempted to close the gap in the fourth, attacking the paint and trimming the margin to three in the final minutes, but the visitors kept OPSU from ever reclaiming the advantage after halftime. Consecutive layups from Snodgrass and Ferguson with less than three minutes left built a seven-point separation, 60-53, that held despite Panhandle's best effort.
The Aggies attempted a game-tying triple at the buzzer, but Snodgrass' partial shot deflection ended the hosts' hopes of overtime.
The Aggies were paced by Tryssa Dowd with 17 points off the bench and Mar'Kia Pratt with 13, while La'Tommas Johnson-Nash added 12.
The Golden Eagles finished the game shooting 42 percent from the field (23-of-55) and 28 percent from three-point range (5-of-18), while converting 9-of-14 from the stripe. Panhandle State shot 40 percent overall (22-of-55) and 33 percent from beyond the arc (3-of-9), going 10-of-15 at the line.
John Brown returns to action on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 7) in Plainview, Texas, as the Blue and Gold complete its road trip against Wayland Baptist, airing live from inside the Hutcherson Center on the SAC Sports Network and the Urban Edge Network.
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