Box Score
The Wayland Baptist Flying Queens had only beaten Oklahoma City University once in their last 29 meetings.
Angeleigh Davis wasn't about to let the Stars' dominance continue any further.
Davis scored a career-high 38 points to lead the Queens to an 88-77 victory over No. 6 Oklahoma City in Sooner Athletic Conference play on Saturday afternoon in Hutcherson Center.
"I knew we had what it took to win this game," Wayland coach Alesha Robertson said. "A lot of times it just kind of depends on your players' mindsets and who wants it the most. I felt like our kids came out today and really wanted that win."
Davis and the other Flying Queens seniors had never beaten OCU. In fact, the Queens hadn't beaten the Stars since 2009, a string of nine straight losses. Before that, OCU had won 19 in a row against Wayland dating all the way back to 2000.
"I feel like games go to the team that hustles the most, and our team worked hard today," said Robertson, whose club outrebounded the Stars, 51-38. "Everybody did their part; it wasn't just in one or two spots. We couldn't let down in any one position because teams like that are so strong all over. Any of (the OCU players) could have taken over if we didn't do what we needed to."
The win lifted Wayland, which is the equivalent of 28th in the nation in the NAIA Top 25 poll, to 15-10 on the season and 12-4 in the SAC, leaving the Queens in a tie for third place with No. 16 John Brown (20-5, 12-4). It was only the third loss of the season for OCU (16-3, 13-2), which had won seven straight coming in.
Although the game ended well, it didn't start out so hot for the Queens as the Stars raced to a 13-3 lead in the first four minutes.
"They could have shut down at that point, but they didn't," Robertson said of her squad. "They came back and did what they had to do to win. I'm really proud of them for that."
Trailing by 10, the Queens went on an 11-2 run to get back in it as Davis and
Stephanie Afunugo led the charge. That got Wayland to within one at 15-14, then another 8-2 spurt brought the Queens all the way back and put them up, 22-19.
The lead went back and forth, and it was tied at 29 when Wayland took over for good as the Queens scored the last six points of the half to lead at the break, 43-32.
With 22 points, Davis was well on her way to her career night.
The Stars got as close as eight on three occasions in the second half, but Wayland never let them get closer.
"That team is good, and they're deep," Robertson said of OCU. "They're well-coached and very disciplined, and they keep coming at you."
Davis, who earlier this season joined the Queens' 1,000-point club, was 13-of-22 from the field – including 2-of-6 3-pointers – and made 10-of-13 free throws. She pulled down eight rebounds.
"A.D. played really, really well, obviously," Robertson said.
The coach may have been more impressed with her star player's defense than with her 38 points, which surpassed her previous-best of 32 on Jan. 11 in a 101-64 win over Mid-America Christian.
"She guarded (Yvonte Neal), who is their leading scorer and a great shooter," Robertson said. "We gave her 15 (points) today, so I thought that was good."
Aubrey Pedigo added 14 points for Wayland, the senior's second-best offensive output of the season.
"Aubrey came off the bench and gave us a huge spark," Robertson said. "She had one of her best games. That helped us a bunch."
Laura Castillo added 11 points, and Afunugo ended with 10.
OCU was led by Neal's 14 points, while 6-foot-2 West African Ouleymatou Coulibaly and Autumn Lea both had 13. Cara Pugh got 12 and Kayla MacKenzie 11.
Wayland, after missing six of its first 11 free throws, got hot from the line and finished 27-of-38 (71 percent). The Queens shot 46 percent (29-of-63) from the field, but just 3-of-17 (17 percent) from beyond the arch.
OCU shot 35 percent (26-of-75) from the field, including 8-of-24 (33 percent) from long range, and went 17-of-21 from the stripe (81 percent).
The win avenged a 78-68 loss to OCU in Wayland's SAC opener on Jan. 2. OCU's only other SAC loss was to No. 5 Oklahoma Baptist in Shawnee, 85-79. Wayland also knocked off OBU earlier this season, 78-64.
The Queens take their final regular-season road trip next week, going to Cedar Hill to meet Northwood (9-17, 2-14), a 108-68 loser to OBU on Saturday, at 6 p.m. Thursday then to Waxahachie to face Southwestern Assemblies of God University (12-14, 6-10) at 1 p.m. Saturday. Wayland returns to the Hutch to wrap up the regular season against USAO (5-14, 4-12) on Feb. 27 and Texas Wesleyan (12-13, 7-9) March 1.
The Flying Queens defeated all four of their remaining opponents in the first half of conference play.
Robertson said games against teams lower in the standings concern her the most.
"If we come to play, we should be OK. We just can't mess up and lose to somebody we're not supposed to," she said. "That's the scary part going into these next four."
