SILOAM SPRINGS -- The Trailblazers scored the first five points in the second overtime session and wouldn't relinquish the lead as the John Brown University women's basketball team fell in 72-68 fashion to North Texas at Dallas on Monday night (Dec. 12) inside Bill George Arena.
In a battle of scorers leading the Sooner Athletic, senior Tarrah Stephens scored a game-high 28 points, while Zyunn Cormier tallied 26 for their respective teams' efforts.
Delyssa Miller hit a triple to open the sixth period and Kayle Payne's layup a minute later opened a 62-57 lead for the Trailblazers, which overcame near certain defeat in the first overtime, to open a lead in a contest in which points came at a premium.
The Golden Eagles (9-4, 3-4 Sooner Athletic) whittled the lead down to one possession four times the remainder of the contest, but either allowed points or turned the ball over following a successful defensive stand. Junior Natalie Smith hit a deep triple from the corner to bring the margin back to two, 70-68, but with just over a second remaining. After Kayla James missed both at the line, UNTD cleaned up the offensive rebound and scored as time expired.
While both teams battled through difficult shooting performances, John Brown had every opportunity to win the matchup, but the nation's second-best free throw shooting squad hit just 20-of-34 from the charity stripe (59 percent), committed 24 turnovers and allowed the Trailblazers (7-2, 5-2) to pull down 22 offensive rebounds and convert the extra chances into 18 points.
UNTD attempted 30 more field goals (87-57) than the Golden Eagles.
Graduate student Maddie Altman hit a triple to open the second half scoring, and Stephens curled in the paint for a layup off a feed from Natalie Smith to open a game-high seven point lead for the hosts. A pair of runs, 8-0 and 9-0, during the third quarter gave UNTD a three point-lead entering the fourth quarter.
The Trailblazer lead grew to seven in the fourth quarter, but a late 8-0 JBU really – powered by four Stephens points – handed the hosts a one-point advantage, 51-50, with 62 seconds remaining. As the shotclock was expiring on the ensuing possession, UNTD's Morgan Strawder hit a triple, forcing John Brown to provide a response. With 15 seconds left, Altman's bucket tied the contest and forced overtime.
The Golden Eagles won the rebounding battle, 51-50, and the battle for points in the paint, 46-34. The JBU reserves, however, were out-scored 20-5.
Altman scored a season-high 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting and a 6-of-7 effort from the line. Senior Lisa Vanoverberghe finished with a double-double scoring 10 and grabbing a career-high 14 rebounds.
Besides Cormier's 26, Miller ended the evening with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Morgan Strawder rounded out the Trailblazers in double-figure scoring with 11 points.
The Golden Eagles will now rest until Thursday (Jan. 5) when John Brown opens the second semester with a three-game road trip, beginning in Plainview where JBU will take on Wayland Baptist (Texas) at 6 p.m.
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