Box Score ABILENE – Freshman
Maci Merket scored 19 points and Wayland Baptist's offense came to life as the No. 24 Flying Queens defeated McMurry here Friday night, 91-69.
All 10 Flying Queens scored, including four in double figures, as Wayland improved to 5-4 with its highest point total of the season. It came on the heels of the Flying Queens' lowest-scoring game, a 61-41 loss Tuesday to Texas Woman's University.
"I'm proud of this win," WBU coach
Alesha Robertson-Ellis said. "I feel like we ran the ball better today."
Besides Merket, others in double figures for Wayland were
Stephanie Afunugo and
Jada Riley with 11 each and
Shawna Monreal with 10 points and six assists.
Shayla Monreal added nine points, while
Nina Sato ended with seven points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.
"Jade (Jones) got into foul trouble early, so we missed her rebounding, but Nina stepped it up," Robertson-Ellis said.
Wayland led 21-15 after the first period. McMurry (2-7) cut it to three, but Wayland went on a 7-0 run to end the half with a 43-34 edge.
The Warhawks kept hanging around, trailing 50-46, until an 11-2 third-quarter run by Wayland put the Queens ahead by 13, 61-48.
Shayla Monreal opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers to put WBU up by 19 and put things out of reach. Wayland's largest lead was 29 points, 88-59, following a 3-pointer by Merket with 2½ minutes left.
"The second five came in and gave us a lift today," Robertson-Ellis said. "They ran the floor very well."
The Flying Queens shot 45 percent from the field (36-of-80) and 33 percent (11-of-33) from 3-point land. Wayland finished 6-of-8 from the free-throw line.
Robertson-Ellis said the Queens need to knock down more shots.
"We have to get our confidence up with our shooting," she said.
McMurry got 19 points from Amye Templeton and 16 from Taylor Russell. The Warhawks hit 25-of-61 field goals (41 percent), 8-of-20 3-pointers (40 percent), and 11-of-12 foul shots (92 percent). WBU turned it over 14 times, six fewer than McMurry, and held a 46-35 rebounding edge. The Flying Queens scored 27 points off turnovers compared to just nine for the Warhawks.
"I feel like we're doing some good things," Robertson-Ellis said.
Wayland now heads to San Angelo to take on Angelo State at 5 p.m. Saturday. ASU is 6-2 following an 80-72 road loss to Texas-Permian Basin on Thursday. Earlier this season, the Lady Rams defeated Texas Wesleyan of the Sooner Athletic Conference, 78-53.
"Angelo State might be a better team than Texas Woman's," Robertson-Ellis said, alluding to the team that defeated Wayland on Tuesday, 61-41. "I hope we match up better with Angelo State than we did with Texas Woman's. Angelo has a new coach, Kevin Baker, who always has them ready to play.
"We'll have to shoot the ball better. It will be a tough one."
