CHICKASHA, Okla. -- Senior Tarrah Stephens scored eight of her game-high 22 points in the final 3:09 of the game, leading the No. 13 John Brown University women's basketball team to its first-ever Sooner Athletic regular season championship in program history via a 69-66 crown-clinching win over Science & Arts (Okla.) on Thursday night (Feb. 15) inside the Drover Fieldhouse.
For the first time in 29 seasons, after joining the SAC in the summer of 1995, head coach Jeff Soderquist and the Golden Eagles (22-3, 19-0 Sooner Athletic) clinched an outright title and will serve as the upcoming tournament's overall top seed.
Stephens led four Golden Eagles in double-digit scoring, and the visitors committed just four fouls, turned the ball over just five times and limited the Drovers (16-9, 12-7) to 38 percent shooting (25-of-66) on its home court.
The win also extended John Brown's program-best run to 20, now doubling the previous high of 10 consecutive victories.
"I'm so proud of this team," head coach Jeff Soderquist admitted after the watershed win. "They deserve to be conference champs – it's truly a team. We have won games in so many different ways, and so many different players have stepped up at different times. I couldn't ask for a better bunch of young ladies."
USAO forced the first lead change since 27-27 in the second quarter with 3:34 left in the game after a 10-4 run that saw the hosts hit back-to-back triples to pull ahead, 61-59.
Then, Stephens took over when JBU needed her most. She scored consecutive layups, bookending a defensive stop to return the lead back to John Brown. Although Science & Arts tied the game on the ensuing possession, 63-63, Stephens drew a foul and converted a pair at the line with 78 seconds remaining.
Another defensive stop, rebounded by Stephens, led to freshman Abbey Sanders thread into the right post where Stephens bested a double team and laid in her eighth-consecutive points.
The Drovers' last bucket came from behind the arc with 18 seconds left, but senior Natalie Smith added insurance to JBU's lead with a pair at the line to increase the margin to three, 69-66. USAO's Trinitee Alexander had a wide-open try to tie the game at the buzzer, but the would-be tying shot was well off the mark to close the contest.
John Brown scored 10 of the final 15 points in the game's last 3:09
Leading for 73 percent of the contest, the Golden Eagles were largely powered by its starting five. Joining Stephens and her seven rebounds and four helpers, Smith hit three triples and finished with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. Senior Bella Irlenborn contributed an efficient 5-of-9 shooting night to add 12 points and Sanders chipped in with 11, hitting 4-of-5 overall and 3-of-4 behind the arc, and a game-best six assists.
En route to shooting 48 percent (27-of-56), John Brown out-scored the Drovers 34-16 in the paint. Although allowing eight more offensive rebounds, the JBU defense limited the Drovers to a minor 15-12 second-chance scoring advantage.
Tonijah Fortune paced the hosts' scoring effort with 20 points off the bench, while Diaka Berete added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Drovers. USAO has now lost three of its last four.
The Golden Eagles return to action on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 17) when Texas Wesleyan travels to Siloam Springs for a matinee matchup inside Bill George Arena. Scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., the game will air live on the SAC Sports Network.
Special Note: The 2023-24 Sooner Athletic regular season champions will be honored during the men's basketball haltime.
FOLLOW THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Don't miss a minute of the latest action surrounding JBU Athletics by following the Golden Eagles on Twitter (@JBUathletics), Instagram (@JBUathletics) and Facebook (/JBUathletics). Catch every Golden Eagle home game and select away games on the SAC Sports Network, available online or for download on your favorite streaming device.
