SHAWNEE, Okla. — The John Brown University women’s basketball team opened with a 60 percent shooting effort and 32 points in the first quarter and built a game-high 44-point second half lead to run away with a 97-55 win over St. Gregory’s (Okla.) on Saturday (Dec. 3) afternoon inside the Sumner Field House.

Sophomore Baily Cameron poured in a game-high 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting and the Golden Eagles (7-4, 1-1 Sooner Athletic) shot 38-of-66 from the field to earn its first conference win of the season. Sophomore Preslea Reece rebounded from Thursday’s outing with 19 points and nine rebounds, marking a season-best point production.

Featuring four players in double-digit scoring, senior Kodie Powell and junior Kimmy Deines each added 14 points apiece. The guards distributed the ball well as Powell passed out a season-high eight dimes while Deines posted six helpers, also a season-best.

“I thought we came out and played really good defense in the first quarter,” said head coach Jeff Soderquist. “When we guard like that, I think we have a chance of being a really good team.”

The Cavaliers (2-7, 0-2) took its only lead of the game at 4-0, which was quickly countered by a 13-0 JBU run over the next 2:50. The hosts hit just 38.5 percent of its shots in the first quarter, while the Golden Eagles poured 32 points en route to netting 20 points or more in each of the four quarters.

Although the Cavaliers held a 39-30 rebounding advantage, John Brown dominated the paint to the tune of 38-22 and turned 26 SGU turnovers into 27 points. Despite committing 14 miscues of its own, the visitors held the Cavs to just nine points as a result.

The Golden Eagles again relied on its nation-leading three-point shooting and hit 13-of-28 from behind the arc (46.4 percent), led by four from Powell and a perfect 3-of-3 effort from junior Rosa Orpo. Deines hit a pair while four others hit at least one from downtown.

Shanques Garrett led all Cavaliers with 18 points, hitting a perfect eight chances at the charity stripe. Kylee Tatum added 12 points on a 3-of-17 mark from the floor in the losing effort.

The Golden Eagles return to action on Monday (Dec. 5) in non-conference play when JBU hosts new NAIA members Crowley’s Ridge (Ark.) in a 7 p.m. showdown inside Bill George Arena.

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SILOAM SPRINGS – The first goal came quickly, but the insurance goal did not, as the No. 16 and top-seeded John Brown University women’s soccer team battled the elements and fourth-seeded St. Gregory’s (Okla.), finally landing a 2-0 victory and a trip to the Sooner Athletic tournament championship game on Monday evening at Alumni Field.

Sophomore Jastin Redman recorded goals in the sixth and 85th minutes, providing an early game winner and a late insurance marker, propelling the Golden Eagles (17-1-1) to its fourth-consecutive championship game.

In the other semifinal, third-seeded Science & Arts knocked off favorites second-seeded Texas Wesleyan, 1-0, on a late goal by Shannon Greenway in a scramble in front of the goal.

The matchup with the Drovers (12-7-1) will come as a rematch of the 2015 edition, however, the venue will change. Last season, despite Melody Hagen’s goal late in the regulation to tie the match at one, JBU dropped a penalty kick decision at Drover Pitch.

In tonight’s match, upstart St. Gregory’s (10-8-0) produced the first scoring chance just moments into the game as the JBU back line was adjusting to the slick surface. After the ball skipped past the defense, Abi Housecroft let go a shot that mandated senior Kristen Morency make an early-match save, helping set the tone.

After the initial save by Morency, the Golden Eagle back line did not allow another Cavalier shot attempt as the hosts maintained ball possession for the remainder of the contest, but also had to battle the constant rain that refused to leave Alumni Field.

John Brown capitalized early however, when sophomore Anna Brown’s centering pass found Redman at the doorstep of the SGU goal. After fighting off her defender, Redman calmly deposited the game winner, her 16th of the year, just 5:02 into the match past keeper Jena Flewelling.

If a 7-1 shooting margin wasn’t enough before the half, the Golden Eagles came out and posted a 12-0 advantage in the second half, but still struggled to put away the equalizer.

The Golden Eagles appeared to have tallied the second goal of the game in the 71st minute, but a late offsides call quickly ended the celebration, forcing JBU to find another goal to put away the Cavaliers.

Finally with just 5:06 left in the match, sophomore Anne Metz played a ball through the middle to Redman, who burned past a pair of defenders and into the box before releasing a shot to the far left post from nine yards out, notching her 17th of the season.

“I knew we would see a completely different team than last time because they were missing a lot of their key players,” said head coach Kathleen Paulsen, referencing John Brown’s 9-0 win over SGU earlier this season. “I think we generally struggled with our through balls that squeaked past us and went for goal kicks, but we really rose above it tonight.”

Morency picked up the win, moving to 15-1-1 on the year, and landed her 10th clean sheet of the year. Flewelling played well in goal for the visitors, making six saves on eight shots, but was dinged with the loss.

The Golden Eagles will now look to make its second trip to the NAIA National Championships in four seasons with a win over USAO. John Brown last went to the big dance in 2013, when it upended top-seeded Oklahoma City in penalty kicks at Stars Field. Since then, JBU has lost the last two title matches, both on the road, including a 1-0 setback at Oklahoma Baptist before last year’s heartbreak in Chickasha, Okla.

Friday’s match, scheduled for 5 p.m., is the first SAC tournament title match to be played at home in program history.

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