SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Sticking close in a one-possession game midway through the third quarter, the John Brown University women's basketball team couldn't keep up down the stretch and dropped a 69-59 score to Southwestern A.G. (Texas) on Thursday night (Nov. 22) inside Bill George Arena.
Junior Taylor Fergen scored all 11 of her points in the second half to keep the Golden Eagles (2-5, 0-1 Sooner Athletic) in contention until midway through the fourth quarter that back-to-back SAGU triples extended the Lions' lead from just four to 10, continuing JBU's losing skid to five on the season.
The Lions (3-2, 1-0) picked up a big 21-point performance from Sydney Meador as the John Brown defense largely held the nation's leading scorer, Lexi Rich, in check. Rich, averaging nearly 24 points per game, finished the contest 7-of-19 from the floor and 1-of-9 behind the arc to finish with 17. Kiara Glenn hit three from long range to contribute 13 points in the SAGU win.
Sophomore Marta Matamala and freshman Tarrah Stephens posted team highs for the Golden Eagles, 13 points, while sophomore Maddie Altman chipped in with 10.
Sophomore Haley James added eight rebounds, a team best, to her five-point effort.
Both teams shot well south of 40 percent, but it was the 16 turnovers and 40-34 rebounding deficit that really hampered John Brown.
After four consecutive games shooting below 40 percent from behind the arc, the Golden Eagles rode three Matamala treys to hit 8-of-19 from long range (42.1 percent). But the Lions responded by sinking 17-of-20 attempts at the charity stripe.
The early goings was a true slugfest as the teams battled to nine ties and 10 lead changes, until a 17-14 John Brown lead with 8:13 left in the first half was diffused with a period-ending 10-2 run by the Lions.
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Still without senior starting guards Sara Williams and Jordan Martin, the Golden Eagles will look to break the skid by welcoming Texas Wesleyan to Bill George Arena on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.
