McPHERSON, Kan. -- Behind a blistering 69 percent shooting effort in the third quarter that saw the Golden Eagles post 31 points in 10 minutes, the John Brown University women's basketball team picked up an 80-62 win over Central Christian (Kan.) on Tuesday night (Feb. 4) inside Alexander Arena.
Freshman Jessica Goldman scored a career-high 11 points off the bench, underscoring a Golden Eagle scoring effort that produced five double-digit scorers as the visitors sank 13 triples and broke open a four-point game at the intermission.
Junior Taylor Fergen scored 12 of her team-high 15 points in the second half and added a team-best seven rebounds while sophomore Marta Matamala connected on four triples to produce 14 points. Freshman Tarrah Stephens scored 13 and sophomore Haley James posted 12 points and five rebounds off the bench to round out the Golden Eagles' top scorers.
Hounded by 11 turnovers, John Brown took a narrow 30-26 lead into halftime, but the visitors erupted with a 31-15 scoring advantage in the third to build a game-high 23-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
Fergen kicked off the second half with back-to-back triples before Stephens bucket in the paint preceeded a triple to open a 10-point lead, 41-31. Goldman and Matamala both contributed a pair of treys down the stretch that blew the contest open to 53-37. Before the scoring barrage ended, senior Sarah Williams and James jumped in the triple parade as the Golden Eagles hit 9-of-11 from behind the arc in the quarter, taking a 61-41 lead into the fourth.
Despite five lead changes in the first half, JBU never trailed in the second half, shooting 17-of-29 from the field (59 percent), but the Tigers resorted to attempting triples in an effort to get back into the contest and failed, hitting just 2-of-10 from long range in the second half.
Holly Golden's 16 points led all scorers as she nearly finished with a double-double by grabbing nine rebounds for Central Christian. Tania Lowe and Kassidy Forsberg each notched 12 points in the loss.
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In just two days, the Golden Eagles return to Bill George Arena to welcome Langston (Okla.) and the Sooner Athletic's leading scorer, Asheika Alexander, for a 6 p.m. tip.
