PLAINVIEW, Texas -- The John Brown University women's basketball team dropped an 81-75 overtime decision at Wayland Baptist (Texas) on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 7) inside the Hutcherson Center as the Flying Queens split the season series with the Blue and Gold.
Sophomore Sarah Snodgrass paced John Brown (9-15, 7-11 Sooner Athletic) with a game-high 31 points and 14 rebounds, logging 42 minutes and shooting 13-of-27 from the field while adding five assists. She also became the program's 21st-ever 1,000 point scorer with her performance, the first since Natalie Smith '24.
Sophomore Caelyn Ferguson followed with 18 points, converting all six free-throw attempts, while freshman Tayla Trammell added 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range.
Junior Abbey Sanders chipped in eight points, five assists and four rebounds.
The Golden Eagles opened the afternoon with a strong first quarter, building a 19-13 edge while shooting 50 percent from the field (7-of-14) and 50 percent from beyond the arc (3-of-6). JBU generated seven points off turnovers in the opening period and held Wayland Baptist to 5-of-15 shooting as the visitors built a game-high nine-point lead, 17-8.
Wayland Baptist (11-11, 10-7 SAC) answered over the middle quarters, outscoring John Brown 40-32 across the second and third frames. The Flying Queens shot 59 percent (10-of-17) in the third quarter and used eight points from the bench to carry a 53-51 advantage into the fourth.
John Brown responded in the final period, shooting 50 percent from the field (6-of-12) and 60 percent from three-point range (3-of-5) to erase the deficit and regain a four-point lead, 64-60 with just over five minutes remaining. Snodgrass scored eight points in the quarter as JBU closed regulation on an 18-16 scoring edge to knot the score at 69 apiece.
WBU outscored the Blue and Gold 12-6 in overtime, capitalizing on five visitor turnovers and trips to the free-throw line. The Flying Queens converted the miscues into seven points in the extra period alone, and finished 5-of-8 from the charity stripe over the final five minutes.
Wayland Baptist was led by Cania Mitchell, who finished with 29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, going 8-of-10 at the free-throw line. Brooklyn Birkenfeld added 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting, providing consistent scoring off the bench. Jadyn Trusler and Iliana Hernandez each scored 11 points to round out Wayland's double-figure scorers.
The hosts shot 47 percent from the field (30-of-64) and 36 percent from three-point range (8-of-22), finishing 13-of-19 at the free-throw line. John Brown shot 44 percent overall (27-of-61) and from behind the arc (10-of-23), converting 11-of-15 on the stripe.
Turnovers again proved pivotal, as the Flying Queens scored 16 points off turnovers compared to nine for JBU and held a 23-5 advantage in bench points, including four in overtime. The Flying Queens also held a 38-30 edge in points in the paint, while the Golden Eagles were held without any points in transition.
The Blue and Gold return to Bill George Arena for an evening contest with Central Christian (Kan.) on Thursday (Feb. 12). Looking for the season sweep, the opening tip is slated for 6 p.m. and will be streamed on the SAC Sports Network and the Urban Edge Network.
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