WAXAHACHIE, Texas -- Facing a double-digit deficit for a majority of the contest, a late run that cut the margin to single digits wasn't enough for the John Brown University men's basketball team as Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas) held on for an 81-73 victory on Saturday afternoon inside the Sheaffer Center.
Needing a late charge to stay in the contest, the Golden Eagles (9-6, 4-3 Sooner Athletic) rattled off a 9-2 run over a 3 minute, 17 second span late in the fourth quarter to pull within five points (71-66). But hitting just 2-of-8 field goal attempts down the stretch allowed SAGU (11-5, 5-3) to finish the second half 15-of-21 from the line and hold on to the important league victory.
The Lions shot nearly 10 percent worse than JBU, but converted 21-of-30 at the free throw line as the visitors were called for eight more fouls. Four SAGU players finished in double figures, led by Lance Tipton's season-high 22 points, who entered the game averaging 12 points per game.
The Lions have now won four in a row, while the Golden Ealges have dropped their past two straight.
While JBU had advantages in bench scoring (29-21) and points in the paint (36-32), the Lions made its mark on the hustle plays, holding the lead in points off turnovers (16-7) and second-chance points (16-6). Powered by 50 rebounds, edging John Brown by five rebounds, SAGU nabbed 14 offensive boards, allowing it to take seven more field goal attempts than JBU.
But 15 turnovers were too much to overcome for the visitors, despite out-shooting the hosts 43.3 percent and holding SAGU to just 35.1 percent.
"We have to stop digging holes for ourselves," said head coach Jason Beschta, whose team by as many as 19 points in the second half. "Coming back from those are just too difficult in this league and I think we've done it to ourselves in almost every conference game so far. We got away from the things that helped us cut the lead.
"We need to be more committed defensively and smarter offensively. SAGU is very well-coached and they play extremely hard, probably harder than any other team in the league. They've set the bar. We need to consistently match that every single night."
John Brown jumped out to an early 5-0 lead behind a three-pointer from junior Jake Caudle, followed by a layup from junior Mateo Habazin. The JBU defense held the Lions off the scoreboard for nearly the first four minutes of play, and two more threes from Caudle helped the visitors tie the score at 11-11.
That's when the Golden Eagles hit an offensive wall, resulting in a 15-0 run by SAGU.
Caudle finished 4-of-7 from behind the arc and 6-of-10 overall to lead John Brown with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists. Brenton Toussaint added a 12-point, six-rebound effort while junior Marquis Waller had 10 points and four rebounds.
Lance Tipton led all players with 22 points, and a 7-of-8 effort from the line, and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Cameron Hill notched 13 points, shooting just 3-of-13, but Desmond Medder and Darian Davis each contributed 10 in the victory.
The Golden Eagles kicked off a three-game week with a home game Tuesday against Bacone College. Results were not available at press time. They then take on Science & Arts (Okla.) and Mid-America Christian (Okla.) on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
Sports on 01/16/2018