OKLAHOMA CITY -- While leading by as many as 22 points in the third quarter, the Golden Eagles finished the game on a 6-1 run to fend off Bellevue (Neb.) by a 63-53 final on Saturday (Nov. 11) afternoon inside the Gaulke Activity Center to close out the Mid-America Christian (Okla.) Classic.
Junior Emily Sanders converted all six attempts from the line in the final two minutes, and finished the afternoon with a game-high 19 points. Shooting 5-of-8 from the floor, she also drained three of her six attempts from behind the arc and added five assists a trio of blocks.
Three other Golden Eagles (2-2) finished in double-figure scoring as the starting lineup did all of the scoring for John Brown. Senior Bella Irlenborn sank 7-of-10 from the field and flirted with a double-double, grabbing a team-leading nine boards. Senior Natalie Smith added 11 points, while senior Tarrah Stephens contributed 10 points and two blocks in her second stint of action following injury.
Sanders, Irlenborn and Stephens' final scoring output were season-highs, respectively.
John Brown started strong, scoring on nine of its first 16 possessions, shooting 56 percent from the field, to build a 24-13 lead after one. Sanders and Smith both scored six apiece, while Irlenborn and Stephens added five each. The Golden Eagle defense, despite allowing the Bruins (2-4) to shoot 6-of-8 from the floor, produced eight turnovers that helped build its 11-point advantage.
While the Bellevue turnover issue subsided in the second quarter, the shooting effort fell dramatically as JBU continued to build its lead, especially just before halftime. Smith drained a triple and Sanders followed with a mid-range jumper and a three-pointer of her own in the final 3:08 of the second as John Brown enjoyed a 16-point lead at halftime, 36-20.
Statistically, the second half was nearly identical, but the Golden Eagles finished the final 20 minutes 8-of-10 from the free throw line, while the Bruins attempted just five at the stripe, hitting three.
With 2:19 remaining, the Bruins were able to whittle the JBU lead down to two possessions, 57-52, but finished the afternoon 0-for-6 from the field while Sanders rebuilt the double-digit lead at the other free throw line.
John Brown shot 44 percent overall (23-of-52), and finished 9-of-11 from the line. Bellevue finished at a 46 percent clip (21-of-46), but couldn't overcome the free-throw disparity and 18 turnovers.
Gabby Moore scored 16 in the losing effort for the Bruins. Kaylee Denker added 14 points and six rebounds off the bench.
John Brown will finish its season-opening six-game roadtrip with a pair of games in Florida as the Golden Eagles travel down to Lakeland to participate in the Southeastern (Fla.) Classic. JBU will take on St. Thomas (Fla.) first on Friday (Nov. 17 night) at 6 p.m. before facing host Southeastern the following evening, also at 6 p.m.
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