Box Score
If the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens end up facing Texas Wesleyan next week in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament, Alesha Robertson hopes her team gets off to a little better start than it did Saturday afternoon, although Robertson didn't mind the Flying Queens' finish one bit.
Wayland put up a strong second-half performance as the No. 22 Flying Queens wrapped up the regular season by defeating Texas Wesleyan in Hutcherson Center, 70-52.
"The first half was just ugly," Robertson said. "It was a slow game at the beginning, but then we got to picking things up."
Wayland (19-10, 16-4 SAC) led by just five at halftime, 27-22, but began pulling away midway through the second half thanks in part to a flurry of 3-pointers from
Laura Castillo and
Shawna Monreal. With the Queens up by nine, Castillo nailed back-to-back 3s and Monreal converted another, all in the span of about 60 seconds, to kick off a 15-5 run. That spark increased WBU's lead to 19 with seven minutes remaining.
"We started executing a little better on the offensive end," Robertson pointed out. "We started being patient and running through the offense, and I felt like we were a little bit smarter (in the second half).
"And of course it always helps when the ball goes in the hole."
The Lady Rams, who played Wayland to within seven points, 87-80, when they met in Fort Worth, made a brief run late in the game. But the Queens scored nine unanswered points – including four free throws by
Angeleigh Davis and
Christie Mooney and a 3-pointer by
Ashlee De La Cruz – to put a nice little victory bow on the game.
The Queens shot nine 3s in each half, making just one in the first half but five in the second.
"The ball wasn't going in for us very well today, but they caused some of that," Robertson said of the Lady Rams. "Overall, they're probably the biggest team we play (in the SAC), and they're athletic. So they do a good job of blocking (shots), and they also run through passing lanes very well."
Castillo recorded her second double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Davis also scored 14 points in the senior's final game at the Hutch.
It was also the final home game for Mooney, who had six points and six rebounds, and fellow senior
Aubrey Pedigo, who had five boards.
Stephanie Afunugo and Monreal each had nine points for Wayland.
The Lady Rams (14-15, 9-11), who were led by Caitlin Bowl and Takoia Larry with 11 points each, outrebounded Wayland, the No. 3 team in the nation on the boards, 51-46. The Lady Rams collected 23 offensive rebounds.
"(Texas Wesleyan) rebounded very well today," Robertson said. "When we don't get second-chance shots it hurts us.
"We didn't play too smart all of the time."
WBU did outscore Texas Wesleyan 18-0 from the 3-point line where the Queens were 6-of-18 and the Lady Rams 0-for-3. WBU also held a big advantage from the free-throw stripe, ending 20-of-27 compared to 8-of-15 for Texas Wesleyan.
The Flying Queens will be the No. 3 seed in the SAC Tournament, which begins Wednesday at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee. The top five seeds, based on regular-season standings, earn first-round byes, so No. 3-seed Wayland's opening game will be Thursday.
It could be against No. 6 seed Texas Wesleyan, which is expected to play No. 11 St. Gregory's (3-23, 2-18) in the first round.
Robertson said Texas Wesleyan, Southwestern Assemblies of God and Mid-America Nazarene, all of which finished behind Wayland in the conference, are dangerous.
"Those are three teams that can beat anybody in this league," she said. "Our first game won't be easy, I guarantee you."
Pairings for the tournament will be announced Sunday night. Watch
www.wbuathletics.com for details.
