NAIA WOMEN’S NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

John Brown knocks off No. 1 Vanguard

Kami Garrison made a free throw off an offensive rebound with two seconds remaining Friday night to give John Brown a 62-61 victory over top-ranked Vanguard (Calif.) in the second round of the NAIA Women’s National Tournament in Frankfort, Ky.

JBU held the NAIA’s third-highest scoring team to 25 points below its season average and the nation’s second-leading scorer 14 points below her season average to advance to a quarterfinal matchup against Loyola (La.) at 7 tonight.

Vanguard (27-2) fresh off a 50-point victory over Cal State San Marcos in the first round, went into Friday’s game averaging 86.6 points a game while Nicole Ballestero, who was averaging 23.5 points a game, was held to nine points. The Lions came into the tournament leading the NAIA in scoring margin at 28.46 points a game.

“Our defense has been the thing all year,” JBU Coach Jeff Soderquist said. “Our girls played absolutely great to be able to hold them to 61 points.”

The Lady Golden Eagles also did it with three-point shooting. JBU, the nation’s leader with an average of 9.36made three-pointers a game, made 7 of 13 (54 percent) in the first half and had 4 more in the second half.

“We knew we were going to have to shoot the ball well, especially threes, because it made them play more manto-man, which I thought was going to be key,” Soderquist said.

JBU had a 61-55 lead with 1:27 left in the second half after Sierra Shipley’s two free throws. Taylor Belmont converted a three-point play 14 seconds later to get the Lions to within three. JBU missed a three-pointer before Vanguard’s Samantha Doucette made a three with 29 seconds left to tie the score at 61-61.

Shipley missed a three-pointer that Garrison rebounded and was fouled. She missed the first free throw but made the second. After a timeout, Belmont missed a shot at the buzzer.

JBU had four players score 10 or more points, with senior All-American Shipley leading the way with 14 points. Kortni Barenberg had 13, while Lauren Rogers added 12 and Brooke Barker chipped in 10.

Doucette led Vanguard with 20 points.

JBU led 33-30 at intermission. The Lady Eagles, who led by as many as five in the first half, shot 48 percent in the first half and 44 percent for the game.

Sports, Pages 19 on 03/22/2014

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