SILOAM SPRINGS -- It was a battle of attrition on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 10) inside Bill George Arena, but the No. 16 John Brown University women's basketball team finally found its rhythm in the third quarter and used an unrelenting defensive effort to connect on its 19th-consecutive win via a 58-47 win over Southwestern A.G. (Texas).
Still undefeated in Sooner Athletic play, the Golden Eagles (21-3, 18-0 Sooner Athletic) wrapped up the league's top spot in the conference tournament, the first time JBU has pulled off the feat in its 29-year history in the SAC.
For the third time in the last six games, senior Natalie Smith led the way for John Brown, overcoming a difficult, scoreless first half to finish with a game-high 18 points, dishing out four assists and committing three thefts. Senior Tarrah Stephens worked hard to finish with 15 points, five boards and a tandem of blocks.
In many outings so far this season, the Golden Eagles had to find different ways to win. Thankfully the duo of senior Leah Anderson and freshman Briley Burns came off the bench to provide a much-needed boost. Anderson was JBU's leading scorer at the half with nine points and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, while Burns shot lights out for the second straight game. Burns hit 4-of-5 from the field to chip in 10 points off the bench and is shooting over 80 percent (9-of-11) from the field in the last pair of contests.
As a team, JBU out-rebounded the Lions (14-9, 11-7), 45-32, and committed half as many fouls as the visitors – limiting SAGU to just four free throw attempts.
The Golden Eagles started poorly on offensive and couldn't find the first field goal of the afternoon until the 5:13 mark of the first quarter. JBU started 1-of-10 from the floor out the gates.
Luckily, the visitors has nearly as much offensive difficulties, and the teams began the battle of attrition and defensive stands. A small 8-3 John Brown run to open the second quarter actually gave the hosts its first lead of the game, but the advantage evaporated by the intermission as the squads were knotted at 25.
Southwestern A.G. scored the first five points of the second half, but then the momentum changed and Smith caught fire.
Over the next 8:15 stretching into the earlygoings of the fourth, the Golden Eagles rallied on a 20-6 run, keyed by 15 Smith points, including back-to-back triples to balloon the JBU lead to nine, 45-36. During the run, the Lions suffered a similar fate to John Brown in the first quarter, mired in a 2-of-11 shooting drought that was more than enough for the hosts to take advantage of.
After another Smith triple, this time an and-one on the right block, Stephens took over the remainder of the game, scoring eight of the Golden Eagles' 10 points in the final five minutes of action.
SAGU attempted 33 triples, over 60 percent of the total shot attempts taken, and hit just eight while scoring 10 more inside the arc to finish at a 33 percent mark (18-of-54), and turning the ball over 18 times.
While the Golden Eagles didn't fare any better from the floor, the hosts worked the Lions on defense, and went to the line to hit 14-of-20 (70 percent) to help offset its third-worst shooting effort of the season.
Neeley Tilley-Bedick and Chanie Chambers each scored 12 for SAGU, but the Lions' post presence – Agar Garcia and Kyla McMinn were limited to a combined 12 points and nine of the visitors' 19 fouls.
John Brown hits the hardwood again on Thursday evening (Feb. 15) in a 6 p.m. outing at Science & Arts (Okla.) inside the Drover Fieldhouse. The often lively matchup is slated to be carried live on the SAC Sports Network. The Drovers have won four of the last five outings in the season series in Chickasha.
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