SILOAM SPRINGS -- Six players scored in double figures and the Golden Eagles shot a season-best 47 percent from behind the arc (15-of-32), powering the John Brown University women's basketball team to a run-away 87-39 win over Southwestern A.G. (Texas) on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 10) inside Bill George Arena.
Senior Tarrah Stephens scored two early buckets and senior Lisa Vanoverberghe and sophomore Emily Sanders each knocked down a triple as the Golden Eagles (9-3, 3-3 Sooner Athletic) connected on five of its first six from the floor to build a 12-0 lead, and never looked back.
Sanders and graduate student Maddie Altman hit consecutive treys down the stretch, building a commanding 20-4 lead for the hosts after the first quarter.
Seven players scored in the second frame, powered by seven points from junior Natalie Smith, allowing John Brown to score 27 points in the period, ballooning the advantage to 29 by halftime.
The Golden Eagles poured in six triples in the third quarter, again notching a huge frame with 26 points. Shooting at a 53 percent (10-for-19) clip in the third, Altman led all players with eight points, while Smith and Harris each added five apiece.
A 9-2 JBU run to open the fourth built a game-high 52-point advantage, 82-30, before a small SAGU run closed the gap to a final 48-point margin.
Besides shooting a season-best from long range, the Golden Eagles hit a pair of offensive thresholds that bodes well in their favor. The Golden Eagles are 4-0 when scoring at least 80 points and improved to 6-1 when shooting better than 45 percent from the floor.
John Brown pulled down 18 offensive rebounds, leading to a 18 second-chance points. The hosts also made the Lions (2-9, 1-5) pay for its 21 turnovers by converting the miscues into 28 points. The JBU bench also out-scored SAGU's reserves by a 33-8 margin.
Harris led the Golden Eagles with 13 points, while Smith contributed 12 points. Stephens chipped in with 11 points, and seven rebounds, as did Vanoverberghe. Sanders and Altman also added 10 points apiece in John Brown's fifth win of the season by at least 40 points.
Although shooting just 29 percent from the floor (14-of-49) and 15 percent (4-of-26) from behind the arc, the Lions produced one scorer in double figures, Taylor Moravcik, who scored 11 and added six rebounds. The hosts out-rebounded SAGU, 45-28.
John Brown closes out the fall semester with a quick turnaround matchup with North Texas at Dallas scheduled for Monday evening (Dec. 12) inside Bill George Arena. The contest will be carried live on the SAC Sports Network.
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