SAGU clips Golden Eagles in final seconds

Nathan Marquardt/JBU Sports Information John Brown sophomore center Nate Anderson attempts a hook shot during Saturday’s game against Southwestern Assemblies of God.
Nathan Marquardt/JBU Sports Information John Brown sophomore center Nate Anderson attempts a hook shot during Saturday’s game against Southwestern Assemblies of God.

Southwestern Assemblies of God senior guard Jonathan Walter is no stranger to making big shots.

Two days after hitting the game-winning 3-pointer at Science and Arts of Oklahoma, Walter gave a repeat performance as his 3-pointer with 3.0 seconds remaining lifted the Lions to a 69-66 win against John Brown spoiling Senior Night at Bill George Arena.

After JBU senior guard Samson Olayemi tied the game at 66 with a free throw with 28.8 seconds left, SAGU point guard Rishaad Alexander brought the ball up the floor and ran the clock down to the final seconds before driving and kicking to Walter for the shot, just to the left of the top of the key.

"Coach got a play for Rishaad to penetrate," Walter said. "I knew if I got the ball I was going to knock it down."

Walter finished with a game-high 25 points for the Lions (20-8, 10-6). He hit 6 of 8 from behind the 3-point line.

"Walter hit a heck of a shot," said JBU head coach Jason Beschta. "He shot the ball so well tonight. He's a senior for them and he's a really good player. He's used to making big shots for them."

The win gave SAGU head coach Donnie Bostwick another victory over his former team, making him 4-0 against JBU in the last two seasons. Bostwick was a Golden Eagles assistant coach under John Sheehy for several years, including the 2005 National Championship season.

"It was a great game," Bostwick said. "Back and forth, momentum changes, both teams just kept fighting. I'm just glad the clocked stopped when it did."

SAGU led 35-26 at the break and led 37-26 to start the third quarter after a basket from Jason Gentry.

JBU answered with a 15-0 run to take a 41-37 lead after a three-point play from Griffin Brady.

JBU senior Max Hopfgartner then scored all of his 19 points in an eight-minute span in the second half as the two teams traded leads until the 66-66 deadlock inside the final minute.

JBU trailed 47-41 when Hopfgarter scored his first points, a 3-pointer that pulled JBU within 47-44. He banked in a shot to cut the lead to 49-47 and then gave JBU a one-point lead with another 3-pointer with 8.28 left in the game.

After a Olayemi and Alexander traded baskets, Hopfgartner put JBU on top again with a basket.

Hopfgartner then hit three 3-pointers in a row, the first tied the game at 57, the second gave JBU a 60-57 lead and the last a 63-60 lead with 2:55 left.

"Max was phenominal," Beschta said. "Nineteen (points) in the second half. That was pretty special and just shows the kind of player he is."

Said Bostwick: "Hopfgartner's amazing. Oh my goodness. He's Dirk Nowitzki. I'm just amazed by that young man. he's killed us both times."

JBU then committed two straight turnovers which led to a transition dunk from Emmanual Adoyi and two free throws from Walter with 1:47 left.

Alexander knocked down a pair at the line as SAGU extended its lead to 66-63 with 40.8 left.

The Lions fouled Olayemi with 33.0 left and the JBU senior hit the first one and missed the second. But the rebound went to Brady who was fouled.

Brady hit one of two to make it 66-65, but JBU got the offensive rebound again and the Lions intentionally fouled Olayemi. Olayemi made the first one and missed the second with the game tied at 66 with 28.2 left.

After Walter put the Lions back ahead 69-66, JBU called timeout.

The Golden Eagles had to go the length of the court and the inbounds pass was intercepted by Adoyi as time expired.

Alexander added 17 points for SAGU, while Brady had 14 for JBU and Zach English added 12 on four 3-pointers.

Just as he did after Thursday's loss against Wayland Baptist, Beschta said the Golden Eagles improved as a team in Saturday's loss to SAGU.

"It would have been easier to keep saying that if we could have come away with a win on this one," Beschta said. "It's hard to keep saying after the last two as losses, but there's no doubt about it. There have been so many times this year where we've played some of these really good teams in our league and they go make runs against us and we fold. The run becomes an unmanageable run where now they've opened it up and we can't really recover.

"Tonight against the team that's probably best at making runs in our league, they kept making runs and we kept answering. Then we'd make runs of our own. We showed a lot of composure, a lot of poise tonight. Then we'd get some stops when needed it. We had nine stops in a row at one point."

One special moment for JBU occurred in the game's opening when injured JBU forward Jared Johnson was introduced in the starting lineup.

Johnson, who is a redshirt junior and has missed all season with a knee injury, played the first minute and 50 seconds and recorded a rebound. Even though he could still play another year, Beschta said Johnson will not return to the team.

"We definitely hoped, and I know he had hopes, to be back at least second semester to be able to play for us this year," Beschta said. "He's such a great guy. Everybody loves him. He means a lot to this team. I'm glad we were able to start him and honor him with that. He even got a rebound, so he's doing something this year. I know that meant a lot to everybody because we all really care about him."

JBU wraps up the regular season this week with games at Southwestern Christian on Thursday and at Oklahoma City on Saturday.

"We keep saying it, but our focus is win or lose can we be better this next game than the last game so that we can be at our best for the conference tournament," Beschta said. "We've got two more games to try and do that. and whether we win or lose, it's are we going to be at our best?

"I think right now we're at our best that we've played all year."

Southwestern Assemblies of God 69, John Brown 66

Southwestern Assemblies of God 35 34 -- 69

John Brown 26 40 -- 66

Southwestern Assemblies of God (20-8, 10-6): Walter 25, Alexander 17, J. Gentry 7, Adoyi 5, Mitchell 4, M. Gentry 3, Feemster 3, Guidry 2, Erskine 2, Price 1.

John Brown (15-13, 7-9): Hopfgartner 19, Brady 14, English 12, Olayemi 8, Feitl 8, Erickson 3, Ledford 2.

Sports on 02/25/2015