SCU edges JBU women in fourth
John Brown’s women had a chance to get their first win of the 2021 season Wednesday night, but the Golden Eagles came up short at home against Southwestern Christian (Okla.).
Marta Matamala’s 3-point shot to tie was off and a long rebound helped Southwestern Christian run off the remaining seconds and secure a 66-63 victory inside Bill George Arena.
It’s the best JBU has played, particularly defensively, in its first three games of the covid-19 shortened season, according to head coach Jeff Soderquist. JBU gave up 88 points in a seasonopening loss at Mid-America Christian on Jan. 28 and 74 in a blowout loss at home to Science and Arts on Jan. 30.
On Wednesday, JBU held Southwest Christian to 4o percent from the field, connecting on 20 of 50 shots.
“I thought we played really good defensively,” Soderquist said. “I’ve been not pleased the last two games defensively. I thought tonight we did well. Offensively they’re a really good team.”
John Brown (0-3, 0-3) trailed the entire first half, as SCU led 17-12 after the first quarter and 29-25 at halftime. SCU led by as many as nine in both quarters, but a late JBU surge cut the deficit to four at halftime.
“In the first half, we went through that stretch where we were getting good shots and couldn’t score,” Soderquist said. “Our defense held us in there. It was really good.”
The Golden Eagles opened the third quarter on a 8-0 run to take a 33-29 lead.
Josie Sisk scored inside and Tarrah Stephens had a basketand-one for JBU’s first lead with 6 minutes, 40 seconds to play in the third quarter.
Matamala connected on a
3-pointer for a 33-29 lead. JBU would lead most of the third quarter before SCU’s Jamie Clarke connected on a 3-pointer to tie the game 47-47 going into the fourth.
Clarke burned the Golden Eagles for three more 3-pointers in the fourth.
“We did a good job on (Clarke) in the first half and then we lost her a couple of times in the second half,” Soderquist said. “She hurt us right there. … We gave her too many good looks in the second half.”
SCU pulled ahead 58-52, but JBU clawed back to tie the game at 60. Tarrah Stephens scored eight straight points for the Golden Eagles in that stretch, including a 3-pointer.
Thamires Andrade split the JBU defense for a threepoint play to give SCU a 63-60 lead, and after holding JBU on the other end,
Tresha Yager hit a 3-pointer for a 66-60 lead.
Matamala hit a 3-pointer to cut the SCU lead in half, and JBU got a defensive stop inside the final minute, to set up the last possession of the game.
Andrade led SCU with 24 points, while Clarke had 17 and Kea Mays 13.
Stephens led JBU with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Matamala had 14.
“Each game we want to improve and I thought we improved,” Soderquist said. “Again, we’ve got to get back into playing shape. That’s part of it. People don’t understand, it is getting used to playing and getting in playing shape.” Southwestern Christian 66, John Brown 63 Southwestern Christian 17 12 18 19 — 66 John Brown 12 13 22 16 — 63 Southwestern Christian (9-2, 5-2): Andrade 24, Clarke 17, Mays 13, Wade 6, Yager 6.
John Brown (0-3, 0-3): Stephens 20, Matamala 14, Fergen 7, Altman 6, Smith 6, Anderson 4, Vanoverberghe 4, Sisk 2.
JBU 74, Central Christian 65
McPHERSON, Kan. — In three prior contests, the Golden Eagles put forward their best 10 minutes of play after the intermission – and this time, the John Brown University women’s basketball team used a 2716 third quarter to capture a 74-65 victory over Central Christian (Kan.) on Friday evening inside the Jerry Alexander Arena.
A quick 5-0 Tiger run pulled the hosts within one, 46-45, with just more than four minutes left in the third, but a quick 14-3 quarter-closing rally that bled into the fourth built John Brown’s largest lead of the season, 60-48. The Golden Eagles (1-3, 1-3) never trailed in the final period.
Sophomore Tarrah Stephens contributed 15 points on 6 of 12 shooting from the floor, and senior Taylor Fergen contributed 13 points and team-best nine rebounds that accompanied four helper and a career-best six steals. The visitors gobbled up 14 steals on 24 Central Christian turnovers as JBU managed its miscues to just nine on the evening.
In the pivotal run, however, it was freshman Natalie Smith’s seven points that powered the 14-3 rally, including a personal 5-0 run to close out the third quarter.
She finished with a career-high 13 points on three triples.
The JBU defense during the run that lasted 5:50 over two separate quarters kept the Tigers (2-14, 0-9 Sooner Athletic) to just 1 of 12 shooting from the field, including 0 of 8 from long range.
The Golden Eagles led for nearly 90 percent of the contest (35:46), and shot over 40 percent for the first time in the 2020-21 season, hitting 27 of 65 from the field.
Despite an 11-rebounds difference, 41-30, John Brown enjoyed a 16-7 scoring margin off opponent turnovers.
Central Christian’s final lead came midway through the third, 37-35, but an 8-of-31 funk over the final 17 minutes of play proved too much for the Tigers in search of its first Sooner Athletic victory of the season.
Kassidy Forsberg’s 16 points led all players, as she completed the doubledouble with 10 rebounds.
Destiny Broussard’s 12-point, 12-rebound effort was also good enough for a double-double, while Alison Kulesza (12 points) and Cheyenne Marshall (11 points) also figured in double-digit scoring for Central Christian.
JBU was scheduled to play at Langston (Okla.) on Saturday afternoon. Results were not available at presstime.
JBU is back in action at home 6 p.m. Monday night against Central Christian.