The last nine months have been a challenge for the John Brown University women's basketball team, but the Golden Eagles are ready to tip off the 2021 season this Saturday.
With only game workers and immediate family members in attendance, John Brown will host Champion Christian at 2 p.m. Saturday at Bill George Arena in the first athletic event the university has hosted since the start of the covid-19 pandemic in March.
Like for all sports on all levels, it's been a trying time filled with covid-19 rules and regulations, limited practices and lots of stress. But coach Jeff Soderquist, who's in his 24th season as head coach, said the team is handling the circumstances admirably.
"I think the girls are doing a great job," Soderquist said. "I've never seen a group of girls so excited to play 5 on 5. We haven't been able to do that since March, so just to play 5 on 5, they were thrilled to death. I think they've done well. At times, do they have days they're covid weary? I'm sure. The girls have done an outstanding job of handling the unknowns. It's been hard to plan ahead and a learning curve for me."
Soderquist said the Golden Eagles were in the middle of recruiting when the pandemic shut everything down in March.
He said he was able to bring in a few recruits but could only do individual workouts with them.
There also was no spring workout with the players.
"We had to send them a packet of stuff to do in the summer," he said. "We had to get creative because depending on where they're from, like Colorado, a lot of fitness centers and gyms were still shut down and we had to make alternative type workouts."
Soderquist said the Golden Eagles did a lot of meetings on Zoom, group and individual meetings, which was interesting because the Golden Eagles had eight new players on the roster.
"I found out I'm not very good at Zoom meetings," Soderquist said. "It was hard. I'm an in-person type of person. It was awkward."
Workouts and practices were limited when players returned to campus in August and eventually later in the fall the team was able to have full team practices before leaving for the semester at the Thanksgiving break, Soderquist said. The team reported back this week for the start of the season, which has been limited to two nonconference games and 14 Sooner Athletic Conference games. The Golden Eagles were picked to finish sixth in the league by the SAC coaches.
Seven returning players from last year's 9-20 team (5-15 SAC) highlight the 15-player roster.
The Golden Eagles have only one senior in point guard Taylor Fergen, who was an all-conference third team selection last year.
Fergen, a 5-5 senior from Republic, Mo., averaged a team-high 28.6 minutes per game and scored 10.4 points along with 5.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
"I felt like last year with all our injuries, we wore her out," Soderquist said. "We rode her for a long time. She did an outstanding job. We put a lot on her shoulders last year. She plays at one speed and that is hard all the time."
Juniors Marta Matamala (5-10, Madrid, Spain) and Maddie Altman (5-7, Littleton, Colo.) are back for their third season as Golden Eagles.
Matamala was the Golden Eagles' third leading scorer at 8.7 points per game and she hit 46 of 112 from behind the 3-point line. Matamala didn't practice much this fall because of an injury but was on track to be ready for the spring semester, Soderquist said.
"Last year she had a good year for us as a sophomore," he said. "She's a good skilled player."
Altman averaged 5.3 points per game, mostly off the bench.
"She played a lot as a sophomore," he said. "She's one of those combo players, she can play the two-guard or the point. She's a good passer with a high basketball IQ. She's stepping up and being a a leader."
Four sophomores are back for JBU, including the Sooner Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in Tarrah Stephens, who led JBU in scoring last year at 14.1 points per game.
Stephens, a 5-11 post from Wyandotte, Okla., also led the team in rebounding at 5.7 boards per game. Stephens spent most of last season playing a five spot on the floor.
"She did a great job for us," Soderquist said. "She's had a great fall. Right now we're playing her at the three spot and a four spot. We didn't recruit her to be a five. She will play some inside but we want her to play a three-four. She's looking really good."
Sophomore Jessica Goldman (5-10), a former Lincoln standout, averaged 4.5 points per game as a freshman last year.
"I think Jessica has one of the basketball IQs on the team," Soderquist said. "She's knows the game well. She picked up the offense and is a good 3-point shooter. She's got 5-10 height at the wing spot. ... The big thing I put on her this summer is getting stronger and getting used to speed of the game."
Sophomores Kenzie Silkey (5-5, Pryor, Okla.) and Lisa Vanoverberghe (5-11, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain) round out the returning players.
Silkey didn't see a lot of playing time last year but has had a good fall and has shot the ball well. Vanoverberghe was limited by health issues her first year at JBU, but she gives the Golden Eagles an athletic post presence who can run and shoot threes, Soderquist said.
Of JBU's eight new players to the team, three will help right off the bat, Soderquist said.
Freshman Josie Sisk, a 5-11 post player from Huntsville, gives the Golden Eagles a "super athletic" option underneath the basket, Soderquist said.
"She's a tremendous athlete," he said. "She can score around the basket. The biggest thing was for her to shoot threes. Most posts in high school don't shoot threes. She's picking that up well. She has the potential to be a great NAIA player and thrive at this level. We're really excited to have her."
The Golden Eagles are excited about former Bentonville High School stars Natatlie Smith and Emily Sanders, who helped Bentonville to a share of the Class 6A state title last season.
Smith, a 5-8 guard, hit 43 percent of her 3-point shots.
"She's known for being a good 3-point shooter," Soderquist said. "We didn't get to see a lot of her other skills, but we're impressed around the basket too. She's a gym rat. She wants to be in the gym all the time."
Sanders, a 5-10 guard, could be the best player on the team, Soderquist said. She's recovering from an ACL injury that cut her senior season short.
"She's a tremendous 3-point shooter," he said. "She's got a chance to be a good college basketball player."
Other freshman who could see playing time include Grace Latham, a 6-2 forward of Martindale, Texas; Leah Anderson, a 5-7 guard from Rush, Colo.; Megan Holloway, a 6-2 forward from Eureka Springs; Elise Cone, a 5-7 guard from Bartlesville, Okla.; and Ariel Nix, a 5-7 guard from Gentry.
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John Brown University women’s basketball
2021 schedule
Date^Opponent^Time
Jan. 2^Champion Christian^2 p.m.
Jan. 4^Ozark Christian^6 p.m.
Jan. 9^Langston*^2 p.m.
Jan. 11^at Central Christian*^6 p.m.
Jan. 14^Texas Wesleyan*^6 p.m.
Jan. 16^Southwestern Assemblies of God*^2 p.m.
Jan. 21^at Oklahoma Panhandle State*^6 p.m.
Jan. 23^at Wayland Baptist*^2 p.m.
Jan. 28^at Mid-America Christian*^6 p.m.
Jan. 30^Science and Arts*^2 p.m.
Feb. 4^Central Christian*^6 p.m.
Feb. 6^at Langston*^2 p.m.
Feb. 11^at Southwestern Assemblies of God*^6 p.m.
Feb. 13^at Texas Wesleyan*^2 p.m.
Feb. 18^at Southwestern Christian^6 p.m.
Feb. 20^Oklahoma City*^2 p.m.
- Sooner Athletic Conference