SILOAM SPRINGS -- After ending regulation on a 10-2 run, the Golden Eagles couldn't complete a second comeback effort as the John Brown University women's basketball team fell just short in a 75-71 overtime loss to Southwestern Christian (Okla.) on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 14) inside Bill George Arena.
Senior Tarraph Stephens scored a pair of buckets in the lane and sophomore Emily Sanders hit all four attempts at the free throw line in a pivotal 2:30 stretch at the end of regulation while forcing the Eagles into a pair of critical turnovers that fueled the comeback effort.
SCU (8-8, 6-5 Sooner Athletic) opened overtime with a 7-0 run, scoring on its first three possessions while John Brown went empty on its first two until Stephens' triple from the top of the arc ended the bleeding. The lead returned to seven, but back-to-back and-one finishes from junior Natalie Smith and Sanders willed the Golden Eagles (11-6, 5-6) back to within two points, 71-69, with 31 seconds remaining.
After the visitors split a pair at the line with 28 seconds remaining, junior Bella Spindler hit both in her trip the line, shaving one more point off the Southwestern Christian lead, 72-71. The game's leading scorer, MJ Case, then missed both of her attempts at the line, unexpectedly handed the hosts possession of the ball coming out of a timeout with 12 seconds left. Unfortunately, despite Smith nailing a triple deep in the corner that would have given JBU a two-point advantage with eight seconds left, John Brown was whistled for an offensive foul on the pass to Smith, effectively ending the comeback bid.
Case blew by her previous career high of 17 points with a game-leading 33 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the floor, including a 4-for-6 effort from behind the arc, and dished out five assists. Christina Jenkins produced a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Lauren Wade did the same for SCU, chipping in with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Before fouling out, Stephens ended the afternoon 9-of-16 from the field that yielded 24 points. Sanders produced six of her 13 points at the charity stripe, and Spindler came off the bench to add 10 points five boards.
Southwestern Christian faced a 21-9 deficit early in the second quarter, but pieced together a 29-7 rally in response, largely limited to JBU's 3-of-19 shooting from the field during the pivotal 15-minute stretch. The visiting Eagles never trailed after using the response to take a 38-28 lead midway through the third frame.
John Brown shot 36.5 percent (23-of-63) from the field and was out-rebounded 40-34, but limited the SCU bench to just two points. The visitors hit 47 percent of its shots (27-of-58) to overcome 16 turnovers, two more than the Golden Eagles.
JBU now begins a week that features a pair of NAIA Top-25 opponents, beginning with No. 19 Science & Arts (Okla.) inside the Drover Fieldhouse on Thursday night (Jan. 19). The game is slated to begin at 6 p.m. and will be available live on the SAC Sports Network.
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