SILOAM SPRINGS -- Senior Natalie Smith tied a season high with a game-leading 26 points, and the Golden Eagles moved to 22-0 when holding opponents under 30% shooting marks as the No. 13 John Brown University women's basketball team used a lopsided first quarter to defeat Texas Wesleyan, 56-43, at Bill George Arena on Feb. 17.
The Rams shot just 2 of 17 (12%) in the first quarter as the Sooner Athletic-leading defense of the Golden Eagles (23-3, 20-0 Sooner Athletic) held Texas Wesleyan scoreless for the first 9:02 of the first quarter while JBU built a 15-0 lead.
John Brown never lost the lead, but the Rams did whittle the gap to five in the third quarter twice. JBU used back-to-back Smith three pointers to end the period on a 10-0 run over the final 5:08 to quickly rebuild a 15-point advantage.
Smith finished 8 of 18 from behind the arc, just one three pointer away from tying the program's single-game three-point record. Senior Bella Irlenborn pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds -- accounting for nearly one-third of JBU's total rebounding effort -- and added nine points. Senior Leah Anderson controlled nine rebounds off the bench while junior Graci Harris passed out a career-best eight assists.
Despite opening the game shooting 5 of 13 (38%), John Brown took advantage of the Rams' 1 of 14 start inside the arc and rode a trio of Smith three pointers to a 19-point first quarter effort. Although JBU shot just 33% overall (19 of 57) and from long range (10 of 30), 15 offensive rebounds gave way to 12 second-chance points as the hosts won the rebounding battle, 48-35.
The Golden Eagles were honored during the halftime of the men's game for their first-ever SAC regular season title. JBU is in its 29th season in the Sooner Athletic Conference. The current 21-game win streak is more than double the program's previous longest run.
John Brown will face Southwestern Christian in Bethany, Okla., on Thursday night. The game will stream live on the SAC Sports Network with tipoff slated for 6 p.m.