Queens post highest point total in 22 years

Box Score
The Wayland Baptist Flying Queens were looking to update history dating back 14 years on Thursday night in Hutcherson Center. They did, and in the process updated some history that dates back even further than that.

The Flying Queens posted their highest point total in 22 years and won their seventh straight game, defeating Sooner Athletic Conference opponent St. Gregory's University, 119-68.

"With the running game you can put up a lot of shots, and on a good shooting night you're probably going to be in the 100s," Wayland coach Alesha Robertson said in explaining her team's point total, the most since a 124-39 victory over Paul Quinn College during the 1991-92 season. "We shot the ball well tonight (56 percent from the field). We made more layups."
 
Robertson also credited her team's scoring prowess to a balanced attack.
 
"Every position came out ready to play tonight, and when we do that we're tough to beat," she said.
 
It was the seventh straight win for the Flying Queens, the program's longest streak since opening the 1999-2000 campaign with 11 wins in a row.
 
"The one thing we try to keep focusing on is being consistent," Robertson said. "If you can be consistent in this league, you can come out with a pretty good record."
 
Freshman guard Ashlee De La Cruz scored a career-high 22 points off the bench and led six Flying Queens in double figures.
 
"Ashlee had a good game. She pushed the ball well and shot the ball like she knows how," Robertson said. "She's been in a slump, but it looks like she might be getting out of that."
 
Also off the bench, senior post Aubrey Pedigo also reached a career-high with 18 points, and LaTericka Anderson posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Angeleigh Davis added 14 points, Iesha Greer 11 and Shawna Monreal 10.
 
All 11 Flying Queens scored at least three points.
 
"I felt like our second group came in and played some big minutes. That was good for our second string," Robertson said. "We have a bunch of shooters on that second bunch that shot the ball well tonight. I feel like they are pretty tough, and the more minutes they get to play they keep getting better and better. It's nice to be deep."
 
Wayland jumped out to a 14-3 lead, before St. Greg's (2-16, 1-11) closed the gap to four. It was 24-19 when De La Cruz and Pedigo combined to score eight straight points, and Wayland's lead never dipped below double digits again.
 
De La Cruz and Shayla Monreal, one of three Flying Queens with seven points, highlighted a 16-2 Wayland run that saw the Queens increase their lead to 51-26. Wayland was up by 24 points at halftime, 60-36.
 
The Queens hit the century mark, 100-53, with 7:39 still left in the game. Their largest advantage was 54 points.
 
It marked the second time in 10 days the Flying Queens defeated St. Greg's, having won 108-82 on Jan. 20 in Shawnee, Okla.
 
The Queens will end a four-game home stand beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday against No. 19 John Brown University (15-4, 7-3), the only SAC team Wayland has not faced this season due to a previous game being postponed by bad weather. In its last game on Tuesday, JBU defeated St. Greg's on the road, 75-59.
 
"John Brown is a good team," Robertson said of the club immediately behind Wayland in the SAC standings. "We got to rest quite a few of our players tonight, and I hope they come out and have a good game Saturday. If every position comes out strong like they did tonight, I feel we can come out with a 'W'.
 
"When you're on a winning streak it's scary because there's a target on you and you're vulnerable," she added. "We can't break down. We just need to take it one game at a time."