Parish, Barker Take Over Game Late in 49-40 Victory
SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. (February 14, 2013) - After playing to a 14-14 deadlock in a low-scoring first half, senior guard Anna Parish and freshman forward Brooke Barker exploded in the second half, scoring nine and eight points, respectively, as the Golden Eagles (10-15, 5-8 SAC) netted a season sweep over the Flying Queens of Wayland Baptist, 49-40, Thursday night at Bill George Arena.
As both squads were deadlocked at 38, the eighth tie of the game, Parish took over the ballgame, scoring seven of her game-high 11 points in the final 1:54 of the contest. Barker iced the game in the final moments, converting all four free throws attempted.
"I think we wore them down a little bit in the second half," said head coach Jeff Soderquist. "After we changed things up at halftime, we got some really good shots around the basket. At the end, we started making timely shots.
"Our offense was much better in the second half because we were getting the ball into the paint, trying to spread them out hoping to get some back picks."
Parish finished the game with five rebounds and an assist while Barker added 10 points overall and grabbing two rebounds. Junior guard Sierra Shipley contributed nine points and a game-high two assists.
The Flying Queens (13-14, 5-8 SAC) were led by Christie Mooney's 11 points and LeTericka Anderson's 10 rebounds. The John Brown defense held all other Wayland Baptist scorers to no more than six points.
Both teams turned in nearly identical shooting nights as WBU finished 15-of-53 (24.1 percent) from the field while the Golden Eagles knocked down 16-of-53 (24.0 percent). Each squad shot poorly from the three-point line, but the difference occurred at the free throw line where John Brown landed eight more baskets from the charity stripe, outscoring the Flying Queens, 14-6.
While both teams committed six turnovers in the first half, it was the John Brown pressure that forced seven Wayland Baptist miscues in the second half, while only committing two. The Golden Eagles translated the visitors' errors into 17 points, while WBU only converted seven points from John Brown lapses.
The first half was a low-scoring affair as the Golden Eagles were nursing a slim two-point lead, 10-8, with only 6:19 left to play after Shipley's bucket that was assisted by Lauren Rogers. The Flying Queens quickly responded, knotting the score at 10, forcing the game's third tie.
Parish's bucket with 2:15 remaining in the half tied the score yet again before Barker's bucket down low with 38 ticks on the clock forced at 14-14 tie entering the intermission.
After Shipley opened the second half scoring with a pair of free throws, Wayland Baptist responded with back-to-back triples to open up a four-point lead. Another pair of Shipley shots from the charity stripe brought the Golden Eagles back to within two before buckets from Shipley and Barker tied the score at 22.
Four-consecutive WBU free throws gave the visitors its game-high five-point lead at the 11:01 mark. The Golden Eagles capitalized again at the stripe as Abbie Warren and Tristan Carrasquillo each knocked down their pair of free throw attempts. Parish's basket with 8:07 left in the game helped JBU grab yet another tie, the seventh of the game.
Kami Garrison would then score baskets sandwiched around Barker field goal, bringing the score to 38 apiece. Parish and Barker would then take over the remainder of the contest as Parish scored seven-straight points for the hosts before Barker's free throws pushed the game out of reach for the Flying Queens.
"My teammates just found me, and I got open," admitted Parish. "It really helps when you get open. We were getting good shots, but we just weren’t finishing. Thankfully toward the end, we were able to knock down our chances."
John Brown returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 16, when it hosts No. 3 Lubbock Christian to a 1:00 p.m. matinee tilt. The Lady Chaps enter the game with an overall record of 23-3 while boasting a 10-3 mark in Sooner Athletic play.
