Second Half Run Falls Short, Men's Basketball Run Ends to Top-Seeded Rams
WAXAHACHIE, Texas -- An 11-2 Golden Eagle run to take the lead to start the second half wasn't enough, and top-seeded and No. 8 Texas Wesleyan responded with a game-winning run and took a 70-56 win over the eighth-seeded John Brown men's basketball team (13-19) in the Sooner Athletic tournament quarterfinals at the Shaffer Center on Thursday (March 3) evening.
Despite holding the SAC's highest-scoring team to a 37.5 percent shooting first half, JBU faced a 29-21 halftime deficit. However, seniorGriffin Brady hit a pair of triples and junior Zach English added another, helping John Brown on an 11-0 run to open the second half to take its first lead of the game, 35-31, at the 14:24 mark of the second half.
In what has become a chronic issue plaguing the Golden Eagles throughout the season, after taking the lead, the Golden Eagles went the next 5:01 without a single point, and allowing the Rams (24-6) to piece together a 10-0 run of its own to retake a 43-35 lead. This lead, however, Texas Wesleyan would not relinquish.
Dion Rogers scored all 10 Ram points in the rebuttal run, as Texas Wesleyan went on to outscore JBU, 35-16, over the next 11:32 to seize control.
Rogers paced the effort for Texas Wesleyan with a season-high 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including of 2-of-4 from long range, and 7-of-8 at the free throw line. Rogers also pulled down six rebounds and handed out three assists.
The Rams out-shot the Golden Eagles, 41 to 35.1 percent, but John Brown was able to connect on 12-of-19 from downtown (41.4 percent) from downtown while the Rams were just 7-of-18 (38.9 percent).
A major difference came at the line, where John Brown was just 4-of-6 from the line, but the Rams converted 13-of-21.
Texas Wesleyan held a healthy 46-34 rebounding advantage while outscoring JBU 28-10 in the paint and16-9 off of turnovers. The Ram reserves also outscored the JBU bench 23-10.
TWU's Jerell Ellis finished with 11 points and Sam Akano added 10. Chris Gracela posted six points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
John Brown was led by Brady's 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting behind the arc. Senior Luke Moyer finished with 11 points, and Zach Englishscored 10 for JBU in defeat.
