PLAINVIEW, Texas --The John Brown University women's basketball team could not slow down a dominant offensive effort from No. 20 Wayland Baptist, falling 92-75 in the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinal round on Thursday night (Feb. 27) inside the Hutcherson Center.
The Golden Eagles (13-16) kept pace early but struggled to contain Wayland Baptist's interior scoring and hot shooting, as the Pioneers (25-3) shot 49 percent (35-of-72) from the field and outscored JBU 46-14 in the paint.
The loss ends John Brown's SAC Tournament run, while the Flying Queens advance to the semifinals in Langston, Okla.
Freshman Sarah Snodgrass led John Brown with 24 points and 11 rebounds – her 24th double-double of the season, converting 8-of-10 from the free-throw line while collecting three steals. Sophomore Briley Burns added a season-best 18 points, knocking down five triples off the bench, while freshman Erin Merkel chipped in 11 points and three rebounds.
The Golden Eagles shot 36 percent (26-of-72) from the field and connected on 12 three-pointers (35 percent) but struggled to keep pace with Wayland Baptist's size, getting out-rebounded 52-45.
Wayland Baptist was led by Kaitlyn Jerden's 31 points, as she hit 5-of-9 from beyond the arc and pulled down six rebounds. Megan Nestor dominated inside, posting 30 points and nine rebounds, while Linda Brice contributed seven points, eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals to fuel the Pioneers' all-around effort.
John Brown finished the game keeping pace with Wayland Baptist in second-chance points (24-23) but could not keep up with the Flying Queens' attack. Wayland Baptist turned 11 JBU turnovers into 16 points and controlled the glass to seal the victory.
With the loss, John Brown's season comes to a close.
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