SILOAM SPRINGS -- The John Brown University women's basketball team picked a great time to hold an opponent to its worst shooting night of the season, and a pair of unlikely but timely offensive contributions helped vault the sixth-seeded Golden Eagles to a 65-53 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State in the Sooner Athletic tournament first round Tuesday (Feb. 23) evening inside Bill George Arena.
While the visitors dominated the glass, 49-33, the eleventh-seeded Aggies (6-19) were held to a 27 percent shooting effort (17-of-64) – the best defensive performance of the Golden Eagles this season.
John Brown (16-15) committed just five turnovers and used nine points from freshman Grace Latham and senior Marta Matamala to a quarterfinal appearance on Friday (Feb. 25) in Fort Worth.
Junior Tarrah Stephens led all players with 17 points and sophomore Natalie Smith hit 4-of-7 from the floor to contribute 12 points and five rebounds as the Golden Eagles finished off a 3-0 effort versus Panhandle State in the 2021-22 season.
The first half saw 10 lead changes and three ties – and the hosts held onto a one-possession lead early in the fourth quarter. Up just three, 46-43, Stephens hit a triple and then finished off an and-one that jump started a 10-2 run that finally gave the Golden Eagles separation. Matamala also converted an old-fashioned triple and senior Maddie Altman split a pair at the line to build an 11-point lead, 56-45.
The difference would never get closer than eight as JBU hit 5-of-6 at the stripe and a Matamala bucket with 11 seconds left placed closure on the first round contest.
John Brown shot just shy of 40 percent (22-of-57), but dominated the paint, 56-30, and used 14 points off OPSU miscues in the second half.
Alie Parkhurst and Cassia McCaskill contributed 14 and 13 points, respectively, for the Aggies, but the visitors converted just eight buckets inside the arc (24 percent) and despite pulling down 18 offensive rebounds, could only convert the extra possessions into 6 second-chance points.
With the victory, John Brown moves into the quarterfinal round and will seek redemption as it travels to the Sid Richardson Center on Friday to take on the three seed, Texas Wesleyan. The contest will air live on the SAC Sports Network and is scheduled, tentatively, to tip at 6 p.m.
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