Triples rain as women’s basketball erases draught from last matchup with SAGU
SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- The No. 20 John Brown University women's basketball team drained 17 triples and shot 65.4 percent from long range to exact revenge on Southwestern A.G. (Texas) after a difficult setback last month, pouring in buckets to the tune of a 102-78 win on Thursday (Feb. 2) night inside Bill George Arena.
After being held to 22 percent from the field on Jan. 12, the Golden Eagles fell 52-43 in Waxahachie, Texas, dropping JBU valuable slots in the national rankings. With a chance to prove the setback an anomaly, the hosts responded, winning their sixth straight, led by four double-digit scorers in the effort.
Senior Kodee Powell hit 5-of-8 from long range and 7-of-10 from the floor to score 19 points while dishing out seven assists and junior Luize Skrastina continued her scoring tear as of late, hitting 4-of-5 from behind the arc to add 18 points. Sophomore Baily Cameron worked through a difficult shooting night, mainly a result of SAGU's Charity Page and her close guarding, to net 15 points. Cameron also came up big in other categories, posting four assists and pulling down a team-best seven rebounds in the lopsided win.
Moving to a perfect 11-0 when eclipsing a 45 percent shooting mark and 8-0 when leading at the half in BGA, the Golden Eagles held a slight 40-37 lead at the break, but exploded for 62 second-half points, including a 35-point outburst in the third quarter.
In fact, JBU (16-6, 8-3 Sooner Athletic) has found its scoring groove in the second half during its six-game winning streak, scoring an average of 42.5 points in the second half.
While the score was tied twice and the teams changed leads twice, the Lions (9-11, 2-9) only managed a two-point advantage early in the contest. Six first-quarter triples extinguished the slight SAGU lead as the Golden Eagles would go on to pour in 17, tying the second-best mark in program history. Only once has John Brown hit more treys, a 20-triple outing in a victory at Oklahoma Wesleyan on Dec. 14, 2013.
Head coach Jeff Soderquist, who celebrated in front of the home crowd for the first time since clinching his 300th-career win, emptied his bench and received 12 points from junior Jana Schammel, who boasted an efficient 4-of-5 shooting night. Starter Jordan Martin scored 10 while sophomore Preslea Reece came off the bench to add eight points, four boards and five assists.
Holding a 20-12 turnover advantage, the Golden Eagles made the visitors pay to the tune of 24 points off miscues. SAGU won the battle of the boards, 38-33.
The Golden Eagles maintain its third-place positioning with the win, but welcome a heavyweight fight on Saturday in Bill George Arena as No. 16 Wayland Baptist makes the trek to Siloam Springs. Baptist dispatched JBU easily in the first meeting of the season, but it was John Brown who handed the Flying Queens an upset loss in BGA just a season ago. WBU slid past a pesky Bacone (Okla.) squad on Thursday night, 72-64, setting up the pivotal matchup on Saturday (Feb. 4).
Tip is slated for 1 p.m. as John Brown University will commemorate Soderquist's 20th season at the helm of the program at halftime and with a reception afterward for former players and their families.
The contest with Wayland is billed as the NAIA Network National Game of the Week.
