PLAINVIEW, Texas -- Three-point baskets kept the John Brown women's basketball team within striking distance in the first half, but eventually No. 17 Wayland Baptist (Texas) escaped in the second half, extending its longest winning streak in nearly 20 years at the Hutcherson Center on Saturday.
Back on Dec. 3, the Golden Eagles (13-11, 6-6 SAC) handed the Flying Queens a 63-58 loss at Bill George Arena. While a watershed victory on the year for JBU, Wayland Baptist has rebounded for 12 consecutive victories, its longest such streak since a 13-game cluster in 1998-99 season.
Sooner Athletic Conference Basketball Standings
WOMEN^CONFERENCE^OVERALL
^W-L^W-L
Wayland Baptist^11-1^16-4
Oklahoma City^10-2^13-6
SAGU^7-5^14-9
SW Christian^7-5^10-12
John Brown^6-6^13-11
MACU^6-6^9-11
Bacone^4-8^8-13
St. Gregory’s^4-8^7-14
Texas Wesleyan^3-9^8-14
Science and Arts^2-10^3-14
Last week
February 4
John Brown 66, Southwestern Christian 58
Oklahoma City 70, Mid-America Christian 62
Wayland Baptist 94, Bacone 48
St. Gregory’s 57, Southwestern Assemblies of God 55
Science and Arts of Oklahoma 55, Texas Wesleyan 42
February 6
Wayland Baptist 79, John Brown 67
Southwestern Assemblies of God 65, Oklahoma City 52
Southwestern Christian 62, Texas Wesleyan 52
Mid-America Christian 87, St. Gregory’s 56
Bacone 74, Science and Arts of Oklahoma 66 (OT)
This week
Thursday’s games
John Brown at Texas Wesleyan
Oklahoma City at Wayland Baptist
St. Gregory’s at Southwestern Christian
Science and Arts of Oklahoma at Mid-America Christian
Southwestern Assemblies of God at Bacone
Saturday’s games
John Brown at Southwestern Assemblies of God
Mid-America Christian at Wayland Baptist
St. Gregory’s at Science and Arts of Oklahoma
Bacone at Texas Wesleyan
The Flying Queens and Golden Eagles battled back and forth early in the first half, but while WBU scored most of its points in the paint, John Brown was lethal from behind the arc, hitting 50 percent (6-of-12) in the first half and splashed 47.8 percent (11-of-23) for the game.
After facing a 21-14 deficit at the end of the first quarter, back-to-back buckets from sophomore Courtney Fine and senior Brooke Barker brought JBU within four, 22-18. Consecutive triples from sophomore Jana Schammel kept the Golden Eagles close, 29-24, but a 14-5 rally from the Flying Queens to end the first half created a 12-point cushion at the break.
That run decided the game as both teams scored 33 points in the second half. JBU would cut the tilt to six, 66-60, with just under seven minutes left in the game, but Wayland's Stephanie Afunugo and Laura Castillo retaliated with a field goal and triple, respectively, to return the margin back to 11.
Afunugo finished with 22 points and Castillo 21 points and five rebounds.
Freshman Bailey Cameron dropped a team-best 18 points, including four triples, as she has now hit double figures in each of her last four games. She now averaged 17.3 points per game in her last four. Junior Kodee Powell hit three from downtown and dished out a career-high seven assists to accompany 11 points. Schammel knocked down 6-of-11 from the field to add 15.
Coupled with an Oklahoma City loss at Southwestern Assemblies of God on Saturday, the Flying Queens took over sole possession of first place in the SAC.
John Brown returns to action on Thursday in Fort Worth to face Texas Wesleyan at 6 p.m. JBU will then travel to Waxahachie, Texas, on Saturday for a 1 p.m. game against Southwestern Assemblies of God.
Sports on 02/10/2016