SILOAM SPRINGS -- The John Brown University women's basketball team sunk 19 triples and featured four double-digit scorers as the Golden Eagles took care of Ecclesia (Ark.), 89-44, on Saturday (Dec. 11) afternoon inside Bill George Arena.
Hitting 19-of-45 (42 percent) from behind the arc, the three-point barrage finished one trey behind the team's program record of 20, set in 2013 at Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Nineteen offensive rebounds led to 14 second-chance points, as the visiting Royals (5-8) shot just 4-of-18 from long range (22 percent) but did glean 13 points from Harmony Van Campen.
John Brown (6-7) started hot, scoring on its first five possessions, including triples from sophomore Natalie Smith (twice) and freshman Emily Sanders to take a quick 13-3 lead. A pair of treys from sophomore Elise Cone later stretched the lead to 12, and two more from Smith and junior Lisa Vanoverberghe ended a 30-point first quarter and a commanding 18-point lead, 30-12.
While the two middle periods saw John Brown out-score the Royals 35-26, the fourth quarter was all John Brown. Ecclesia was limited to 1-of-8 shooting from the field, while the Golden Eagles hit 8-of-17 (44 percent) and enjoyed a 24-6 scoring margin to lead late by a game-high 45 points in the lopsided affair.
Smith hit six triples – a career-high – and finished with a game-high 18 points, while Cone came off the bench to contribute 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from behind the arc. Junior Tarrah Stephens shot efficiently, 5-of-8, and finished the afternoon with 12 points and four rebounds. Sophomore Grace Latham contributed a career-best 10 points off the bench on 4-of-9 shooting from the field.
The hosts enjoyed an overwhelming rebounding advantage, 42-28, and shot 44 percent from the floor (32-of-73) and forced Ecclesia into a tepid 38 percent (15-of-40) overall. Forcing 23 Royal turnovers and converting into 19 points, JBU earned a 34-9 scoring margin in the battle of the benches.
Now with a three-week layoff, the Golden Eagles will enjoy the holidays and take three weeks off before it jumps back into Sooner Athletic play on New Year's Day. Oklahoma Panhandle State will invade Bill George Arena on Saturday (Jan. 1) at 2 p.m. as JBU kicks off a three-game homestand to start 2022. The contest will stream live on the SAC Sports Network.
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