Cameron named to All-SAC first team

n Senior guard Powell garners third team honors.

Photo courtesy of JBU Sports Information John Brown senior guard Kodee Powell, left, was named to the Sooner Athletic Conference third team, the league announced on Tuesday.
Photo courtesy of JBU Sports Information John Brown senior guard Kodee Powell, left, was named to the Sooner Athletic Conference third team, the league announced on Tuesday.

John Brown University sophomore Baily Cameron has again been named to the All-Sooner Athletic first team, while senior Kodee Powell earned third team accolades as the duo were honored by SAC coaches, the conference office announced Tuesday.

Cameron, who was an All-SAC first team honoree and Freshman of the Year in 2016, earns the second top-team honor of her career. The 5-foot-10 forward from Siloam Springs started all 29 games this season and leads the Golden Eagles with 17.2 points and 7.1 rebounds and boasts a 53.2 percent shooting mark from the floor. She posted a team-best five double-doubles this season, including 10 games with at least 20 points in addition to a pair of 30-point outings.

Cameron helped lead John Brown to a 22-7 overall record this season, and the second-most regular-season victories in program history. Cameron was also named SAC Player of the Week three times this season, all coming within the final four weeks of regular season play. Her most impressive outing came at Philander Smith (Ark.) when Cameron shot 12-of-16 from the floor and secured her second double-double of the year 33 points and 14 rebounds, both registering as season highs on Nov. 15.

Powell collects her SAC honor by landing on the third team after running the nation's 13th-best offense (76 points per game). The 5-foot-4 guard from Green Forest finished second on the team in scoring with 11.1 points per game and led all players in assists per game (4.0). The passing rate vaulted the Golden Eagles into leading the nation in both total assists (551) and assists per game (19.0). Additionally, Powell's 3-point shooting prowess at 43.9 percent landed her fifth among all players nationwide, bolstering the squad to lead the nation in three-pointers per game (10.7), total triples (311) and three-point shooting efficiency (40.0 percent).

Fourteen times this year Powell dropped at least three triples in a contest and 12 times she dished out at least five assists. Powell's most impressive performance came in the conference opener against Oklahoma City on Dec. 1, as she dropped a season-high 20 points and hit four triples in a narrow loss to the then-No. 19 Stars.

The Golden Eagle duo has led the team to a 22-7 overall record, helping JBU post its fifth 20-win season in program history, all coming under head coach Jeff Soderquist.

With a 14-4 conference record, John Brown earned the No. 3 seed for the 2017 Sooner Athletic Tournament and hosted No. 6 Science and Arts (Okla.) in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Results were not available at presstime.

Sports on 03/01/2017