#13 JBU Narrowly Edges USAO in an Epic Thriller

CHICKASHA, Okla. – Thursday night, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (16-9, 12-7 SAC) delivered a gutsy performance in a tough 69-66 loss against No. 13 ranked John Brown University (22-3, 19-0 SAC). With the loss, USAO drops to fifth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings, with three games remaining in the regular season. The Drovers sit only 2.0 games back of third place (WBU), and 3.0 games back of second (LU) in the conference.

The Drovers opened Thursday's game on a 5-0 run, but that would unfortunately match their largest lead of the evenly matched contest. The score was tied on six occasions, and the lead was exchanged eight times. 

At the conclusion of the first quarter, the game was tied at 16-16 but the Golden Eagles gained momentum in the second quarter and took a 37-30 lead into halftime. 

Following the break, USAO gradually chipped away at JBU's lead and cut the deficit to 49-45 going into the fourth quarter. The Drovers erased the deficit in the fourth quarter and took a 58-57 lead with 5:17 remaining in regulation. JBU would then reclaim a slim lead, but USAO would not go away and tied the score at 63-63 with 1:18 to play. The Golden Eagles then scored four consecutive points to claim a 67-63 lead with 28 seconds remaining. Crystal Ortiz proceeded to cut USAO's deficit to only one on a clutch three-pointer with 18 seconds to play. However, the Golden Eagles knocked down a pair of free-throws in the final seconds of the game, and the Drovers were unable to connect on an equalizer before the final buzzer sounded.

USAO finished the game shooting 25-66 (.379) from the field, 13-38 (.342) from beyond the arc, and 3-3 from the free-throw line. In comparison, JBU shot 27-56 (.482) from the field, 9-20 (.450) from deep, and 6-6 from the charity stripe. 

The Drovers outrebounded the Golden Eagles by a slim margin of 37-33, but JBU outscored the USAO in the paint 34-16. 

USAO committed only six turnovers, which led to seven points for JBU. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles only fumbled the ball five times, resulting in four points for the Drovers. USAO was whistled for 10 fouls, and the Golden Eagles were called for only four infractions.

USAO was led by a trio of double-digit scoring performances, including Tonijah Fortune's 20 points in 25 minutes off the bench. Fortune shot 9-14 from the field and she also hauled in five rebounds. Diaka Berete concluded with 19 points on 5-11 shooting from deep, in addition to eight rebounds. Crystal Ortiz went 5-8 from three-point range and finished with 15 points, five rebounds, and four blocks. 

Jordan Bloomfield concluded with five points, followed by Lainey Morrow with four points and five rebounds. Trinitee Alexander scored three points and hauled in three rebounds. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Drovers will return to the hardwood on Saturday, February 17 as they play a double-header at Oklahoma City University. The women's game is scheduled to tip-off at 2:00 PM CT, followed by the men's game at 3:45 PM.

Stay up to date on all Drover Athletics news by following us on our media platforms!

Athletics Website: www.usaoathletics.com

Live-stream: www.sacsportsnetwork.com/usao

YouTube: Drover Athletics

Twitter/X: @DroverAthletics

Facebook: @DroverAthletics

Instagram: @drover_athletics

GIPHY: www.giphy.com/USAODrovers