Box Score Shawna Monreal exploded for a career-high 24 points, and
LaTericka Anderson also put in a career-best 18 to lead the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens to a 79-58 victory over Texas Wesleyan in Sooner Athletic Conference action on Thursday night in Hutcherson Center.
"It was sloppy, but I'm glad we got the win," Wayland coach
Alesha Robertson-Ellis said.
Monreal had 15 points by halftime when Wayland (6-6, 2-1 SAC) – playing just its second home game of the season – owned a 33-20 advantage. The sophomore from Canyon finished 8-of-18 from the field, including 2-of-6 from 3-point range, and hit 6-of-7 free throws. Monreal, whose previous scoring best was 15 points accomplished once this season and once last, also had seven rebounds, four assists, one block and one turnover.
"This was one of the best games I've seen her play," Robertson-Ellis said of Monreal. "The last two games she's really stepped it up and played like she knows how to."
Anderson, whose previous high was 15 points last season, hit 8-of-11 from the field while sinking her only 3-pointer and her only free throw. She also pulled down nine rebounds.
"She's an important player for us because she does a lot of things that don't necessarily get in the books," Robertson-Ellis said of Anderson. She's a hustler and a scrappy player."
Texas Wesleyan (9-5, 1-2), ranked the equivalent of 31
st, led only once after scoring the game's first bucket. After a couple of ties, the Queens – the equivalent of tied for 35
th – took the lead for good, 7-4, on a 3-pointer by Monreal.
Wayland was up by just two, 17-15, when the Flying Queens rolled off 14 unanswered points. The run featured three field goals by
Laura Castillo, who came off the bench after being slowed by a nagging foot injury and scored 11 points and had four assists.
Iesha Greer also put in 11 points.
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The Lady Rams were able to trim the margin to seven, 42-35, five minutes into the second half, but Wayland – spurred by Anderson's lone 3-pointer – regrouped and didn't allow Wesleyan to get any closer.
"They gave us trouble last year, so we expected a little bit of that," Robertson-Ellis said. "The refs let us play, which actually helped us because we can keep players on the floor.
Wayland scored the last seven points of the game to account for the final 21-point difference.
"We found a way to win, and that's the main thing," Robertson-Ellis said.
Wayland shot 41 percent from the field, hitting 6-of-19 3-pointers, and put in 11-of-18 free throws. The Flying Queens gave up 19 offensive rebounds but got 10 of their own and held a 55-46 rebounding edge, with Greer getting a dozen.
WBU returns to Hutcherson Center at 1 p.m. Saturday to host Southwestern Assemblies of God (9-5, 1-2), which was knocked off by St. Gregory's (2-10, 1-2) on Thursday, 65-61.
"We have to come in and play like we know how," Robertson-Ellis said. "We have to try to get off to a good start. If we do that then we'll be OK.
"We can't get away from our running game. We're much better in transition, so if we get back in that and keep pushing the ball I feel good about it."
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