GOODWELL, Okla. -- Junior Baily Cameron scored a game-high 22 points and the John Brown University women's basketball defense held Oklahoma Panhandle State to just 29 percent from the floor on the night, as the Golden Eagles inched one win closer to obtaining a home-court advantage in the SAC tournament quarterfinals with a 74-49 win over OPSU on Thursday (Feb. 22) inside the Oscar Williams Fieldhouse.
With one game remaining in the regular season, the Golden Eagles (18-10, 12-7 Sooner Athletic) are tied with Mid-America Christian (Okla.) for the fourth and final spot for home responsibilities in the quarterfinals on Feb. 27. If both programs win or both lose on Saturday, MACU win by virtue of sweeping the Golden Eagles this season. If JBU can manage a victory at No. 5 Wayland Baptist (Texas), and MACU loses at home to Southwestern Christian (Okla.), JBU finishes with the better conference record.
What You Need to Know
» Averaging just 15.7 made field goals per game inside the arc, the Golden Eagles converted 22 tonight.
» John Brown owned the Aggies in the paint, the tune of 42-14.
» The visitors hit 9-of-18 from the field and outscored OPSU 24-7 in the second quarter.
» OPSU managed to whittle the JBU lead to 10 late in the third, but the Golden Eagles responded with a quarter-ending 11-3 run. |
In order to reach that point, Cameron hit the 20-point mark for the 12th time this season, including seven times in her last eight outings. She added six boards, three assists and three steals to her final statline while sophomore Jordan Martin came off the bench to contribute 12 points and six rebounds on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting effort. As usual, senior Kimmy Deines passed out five dimes, a game high, and added nine points and a team-leading seven rebounds.
Compounded by OPSU's poor shooting night, the Aggies (14-13, 6-13) were out-rebounded significantly, 47-29, hitting just 17-of-59 from the field and committing 18 turnovers. Madison Dearmin, Monti Regier and Addison Munsch each scored nine points, but the hosts couldn't produce a single double-digit scorer in the setback, the Aggies' third-straight.
A strong 24-7 second-quarter margin powered the Golden Eagles to a 38-22 lead, behind a 9-of-18 shooting quarter, and although the Aggies rode a 11-5 run late into the third quarter to pull within 10, John Brown had an answer, powered by a timely Luize Skrastina triple, with an 11-3 run of its own to pull way for good.
The Golden Eagles close the regular season on Saturday (Feb. 24) with a 1 p.m. date at No. 5 Wayland Baptist.
