WAXAHACHIE, Texas -- John Brown University junior Sofia Mendoza scored a game-high 17 points to lead the Golden Eagles women's basketball team to a 52-43 victory against Southwestern Assemblies of God on Saturday afternoon inside the Shaffer Center, helping John Brown split its two-game Texas road swing.
Mendoza netted 12 of her game-leading 17 points in the second half on near-perfect shooting, 7-of-8 from the field. She also contributed five rebounds, three steals and a pair of assists in the win. Senior Eliana Fernandez continued her impressive distribution, sending out seven assists, a game-high, while pulling down six rebounds. Senior Morgan Ankrom helped the Golden Eagles pull ahead for good early in the first half and finished with eight points and a game-high eight rebounds.
SAGU's Charity Page scored four points early, handing the hosts a pair of narrow leads, but Ankrom swished her first and only attempt from behind the arc with 15:42 on the clock, handing the lead to JBU, 7-6, for good. Senior Lauren Rogers, who finished the contested with 11 points, dropped another triple on the Golden Eagles' next possession before Ankrom converted an old-fashioned three-point play, leading the visitors on a 12-2 run over a 3:39 span.
Up 19-8, John Brown (7-10, 2-4 Sooner Athletic Conference) suffered through a 6:03 span with just one field goal, but the defense held the Lions in check, as senior Laura Brown's bucket down low from Mendoza ended the spurt and maintained a 10-point lead, 23-13, with six minutes remaining in the half. Rogers nailed a triple down the stretch and junior Tristan Carrasquillo launched a shot that beat the halftime buzzer, allowing JBU a 15-point advantage at the break.
After forcing 15 SAGU turnovers and limiting the hosts to a mere 8 of 22 shooting clip in the first half, JBU came out in the second half cold, shooting just 2 of 10 from the field and committing eight turnovers. The Lions' Kassy Cox, however, scored six consecutive points and the hosts came roaring back to within four, 36-32.
With just 8:41 left to play and clinging to a four-point lead, JBU leaned on Mendoza, who responded with a scoring tear that resulted in eight points off four baskets down low. Fernandez hit a triple during the run and dished out a pair of assists to Mendoza, allowing the visitors to rebuild an 11-point lead, 47-36, with 3:39 remaining in the game. SAGU responded with a pair of buckets to pull within seven, but Rogers stepped up and hit a crowd-quieting triple with 2:15 on the clock, extending John Brown's lead to 10, 50-40, and erasing any chance at a Lion comeback.
Both teams shot well, with John Brown edging out the hosts, 39.6 percent to 38.8 percent. The Golden Eagles grabbed 36 rebounds, compared to 31 from SAGU, and pulled down 10 off the offensive glass. JBU committed 18 turnovers but allowed SAGU to make 20 of its own, as the teams each netted 14 points as a result of the other's miscues. The visitors struggled from behind the arc, scoring on just 5-of-26 chances (19.2 percent).
With the victory, the Golden Eagles move closer to the .500 mark. They are now 3-5 in road games and 3-7 in any game away from Siloam Springs.
Charity Page led all Lions scorers with 13 points as she collected a team-leading eight rebounds. Cox finished with 10 points in the loss.
For the first time in 2015, the Golden Eagles will return to Bill George Arena on Thursday when it welcomes Southwestern Christian (Okla.) for a 6 p.m. tip-off.
Sports on 01/21/2015