SILOAM SPRINGS, AR:  The 11th ranked Texas Wesleyan University men's basketball team (22-6, 12-5 SAC) secured its second consecutive Sooner Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship with a 78-76 win at John Brown University (15-13, 7-10 SAC) on Thursday.             
 
A win in their season finale at Bacone College would deliver the title outright.  A Texas Wesleyan loss on Saturday paired with a win from either the University of Science & Arts (OK) or Southwestern Assemblies of God University would result in a shared title.  The Rams also secured one more home game.  They will host a quarterfinal contest in the SAC Tournament on Tuesday.
 
"I'm absolutely amazed at the toughness and commitment of this team," commented Head Coach Brennen Shingleton after the game.  "We have worked so hard just to stay in this league, and the league has proved to be unbelievably tough night in and night out.  I'm proud of this team, our leadership, and the coaching staff for giving us a chance to win it.  We still need to go and finish off the regular season against a tough opponent at Bacone, but tonight it feels good to see the guys celebrate their hard work and commitment to each other."
 
JBU's Bill George Arena once again proved to be a tough place to play.  The Rams shot 52% from the field for the game, but struggled from long range for much of the contest, hitting just 5-of-20 three-point attempts.  The Golden Eagles meanwhile ripped off 31 shots from beyond the arc and hit on 13.
 
Ryan Harris came up with a game-high 23 points off the Texas Wesleyan bench, while four other Rams finished in double-figure scoring.
 
Texas Wesleyan scored nine unanswered points to take a 36-25 lead in the first half, but the Eagles chipped away at that margin and trailed by only four, 40-36, at halftime.
 
Although the Rams picked up seven fouls in the first 5:11 of the second half (including three on one JBU possession), Texas Wesleyan held John Brown at bay until things got interesting late in the game.
 
With the score reading 71-68, the Rams missed the front end of a 1-and-1 bonus attempt at the free throw line, and Zach English promptly drilled a three to tie the game with 2:42 to play.  The Rams then hit 1-of-2 at the line and Najeal Young came up with a huge block that led to a quick transition layup for Dion Rogers that gave the Rams some wiggle room at 74-71 entering the final minute.
 
JBU continued to send Texas Wesleyan to the line, where they were 4-of-6 in the closing seconds.  With 21.7 seconds on the clock, Brandon Joseph hit a three to bring JBU within a point at 77-76.  The Rams managed one more free throw and then played terrific defense on the final possession to take the 78-76 win.
 
Harris led the way for the Rams with 23 points, while Trevon Jeffery added 18 points and 8 rebounds.  Dion Rogers finished with 17 points, and Najeal Young scored 10.  Naiel Smith filled the statsheet with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists.
 
Joseph led the Golden Eagles with 21 points.
 
Texas Wesleyan outshot John Brown 52%-42% from the field, while the Eagles led 38-33 in the rebound column thanks to 12 offensive boards.
 
The Rams will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, when they travel to Muskogee, OK, to take on Bacone College.  That game is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start.
 
Ramblings

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- Entering Thursday's game, five teams were within one game of the lead in the SAC standings.  USAO and SAGU both won on Thursday to remain one game behind the Rams.  The top four teams will host quarterfinal games on Tuesday, February 28.
 
- Texas Wesleyan now leads USAO and SAGU by one game in the standings with one game to play.  The Rams swept the season series from SAGU while they split with USAO.
 
- Texas Wesleyan leads the all-time series with John Brown 6-3, while the Rams moved to 38-35 all-time in SAC play.  Texas Wesleyan leads the all-time series with their next opponent, Bacone, 20-8.
 
- Naiel Smith leads the NAIA with 217 assists and 8.04 assists per game, while ranking second in assist/turnover ratio at 3.875.
 
- This was Harris' 5th 20+ point game of the season.  He scored a career-high 33 against Texas College on November 21.