SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- The John Brown University women's basketball team upped its scoring average to 87 points per game on Thursday (Nov. 15) night, hanging a second-consecutive century mark in a 106-26 win over Bacone (Okla.) in its Sooner Athletic opener inside Bill George Arena.
Sophomore Taylor Fergen passed out a career-high 12 assists, of JBU's 27, tying a program record last set by Tot Barham in the 1983-84 season. The Golden Eagles (4-0, 1-0) racked up 27 helpers on 44 field goals in the lopsided affair. Fergen completed the double-double with 12 points and she added five rebounds and a pair of steals.
A pair of freshmen posted career highs – Kayla Nelson led all scorer with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor while Haley James added 11 points. Junior Jordan Martin knocked down six attempts from the floor to finish with 13 points and eight boards.
The Warriors (0-2, 0-1) were only seeing action in their second game of the season and it showed. Hampered by 27 turnovers and a 24 percent shooting mark (10-of-41) from the floor, Bacone was heavily out-rebounded by the hosts, 51-21, as the Golden Eagles notched 23 offensive rebounds and converted its chances into 17 second-chance points.
Fifty-eight bench points, paced by nine from freshman Maddie Altman and senior Preslea Lawson, powered a JBU offense that shot 54 percent (44-of-81) from the floor and 42 percent (14-of-33) from behind the arc, moving to 2-0 when shooting better than 40 percent from three.
Kaylee Pinkston contributed 10 points and six boards to the Bacone effort, which saw the visitors down 22-5 after the first quarter and 42-12 at the end of the half. The John Brown lead ballooned to a game-high 80 points with 61 seconds left in the contest.
The Golden Eagles now slow down a bit, with just two games over the next 11 days. On Tuesday (Nov. 20), John Brown welcomes Jarvis Christian (Texas) to Bill George Arena before JBU embarks on an always-tough trip to Pt. Lookout, Mo. to face College of the Ozarks on Nov. 26.
