FT. WORTH, Texas -- Senior Tarrah Stephens converted an old-fashioned three point play and junior Emily Sanders added another triple from behind the arc as the Golden Eagles pieced together a game-ending 13-6 run to overcome a 35 percent shooting effort and capture a 55-50 battle of attrition win at Texas Wesleyan, allowing the No. 21 John Brown University women's basketball team to continue a program-record 11-game winning streak while breaking a three-game losing skid inside the Sid Richardson Center on Thursday night (Jan. 18).
Sanders scored all eight of her points, highlighted by a pair of triples, in the fourth quarter, and Stephens added a 4-of-5 effort from the line in the final 10 minutes. John Brown (13-3, 10-0 Sooner Athletic) faced down a 44-42 deficit with 4:27 remaining and limited the host Rams (8-8, 4-6) to 3-of-8 from the field and a turnover during the final stretch.
JBU hit 10-of-12 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter and finished 4-of-9 from the court.
The Golden Eagles remain perched atop the Sooner Athletic standings, with Langston (Okla.) still just one game behind.
Both teams shot poorly from the field in the defensive battle, with the hosts ending the evening at 34 percent (21-of-62), and the visitors at 35 percent (19-of-55), which tied for the third-lowest shooting effort from John Brown on the season. Despite the ball not falling at its usual clip, the Blue and Gold still worked to a 40-33 rebounding advantage and limited TXWES to just seven free throws on the night.
Before the Golden Eagles' final game-clinching run, the teams exchanged the lead four times in the fourth quarter alone, until JBU's game-high eight-point lead, 52-44, with just under 90 seconds remaining in the action.
Texas Wesleyan held a 14-6 advantage in points off turnovers, while JBU enjoyed an 11-5 margin in second chance points. The game was won at the free throw line, where the visitors buried 12-of-16 chances (75 percent), while the Rams managed a higher rate (86 percent), but connected on six of just seven attempts.
Stephens battled for 16 points – a third of which came at the stripe – and added eight rebounds in the wine, as senior Bella Irlenborn added 11 points of her own. Coming off the bench, senior Leah Anderson shot a blazing 71 percent (5-of-7) and posted a season-best 11 points and eight rebounds.
Taryn Wills led the Rams with 15 points and seven boards in the loss. Imani Mitchell scored 10 points as a reserve.
The Golden Eagles will now return home on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 20) and put the winning streak on the line when John Brown plays host to Science & Arts (Okla.) at 2 p.m. The matinee rivalry game, also Alumni Weekend at JBU, will air live on the SAC Sports Network.
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