POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. -- In what is usually a difference maker in the Golden Eagles' offense, the 3-point shots wouldn't fall and a first half double-digit lead quickly disappeared in the John Brown University women's basketball team's 66-57 loss at College of the Ozarks (Mo.) on Monday evening inside Keeter Gymnasium.
Senior Baily Cameron scored nine points in JBU's 11-0 game-opening run, but the host Bobcats (8-1) responded with a 13-2 rally of its own to knot the score at 13 apiece. A buzzer-beating Sara Williams 3-pointer fell to close out the first quarter in favor of the Golden Eagles, 16-13, but College of the Ozarks outscored JBU (5-1) by a 14-4 margin in the second quarter to take the lead back for good.
John Brown finished the contest just 7 of 26 behind the arc (27 percent) and wasn't able to shave the Bobcat advantage to less than nine in the second half.
Despite holding a 46-44 rebounding advantage, including 12 offensive boards, JBU managed just nine second-chance points, suffering through a difficult shooting day at just 33 percent (22 of 67).
Cameron finished the contest with 18 points on 7 of 17 shooting and corralled eight rebounds. Junior Jordan Martin contributed 13 points and sophomore Taylor Fergen controlled a team-best 10 rebounds.
College of the Ozarks, which went just eight players deep, received 18 points from Cassidy Johnson on 6 of 17 shooting from the floor and seven rebounds. Abby Oliver added 10 points and two assists while Kelsie Cleeton put up nine points and 13 rebounds, just shy of the double-double, playing all but two minutes of the contest.
After absorbing its first loss of the season, the Golden Eagles continue their three-game road trip, now on to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. John Brown takes on Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas) on Thursday night at 6 p.m. in Waxahachie before moving on to face Texas Wesleyan on Saturday in a 1 p.m. tip.
Sports on 11/28/2018