Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY – Facing the top 3-point shooting team in the NAIA, Wayland Baptist turned the tables on Mid-America Christian by draining 12 treys – including six by
Laura Castillo – on their way to a 100-50 victory over the Lady Evangels in Sooner Athletic Conference play here Saturday afternoon.
"I feel like we figured something out today that we're going to use in the future," Wayland coach
Alesha Robertson-Ellis said. "We're a much better team in transition. We got back into our running game. I told them, 'When you're open, you have to shoot.'"
Wayland (8-4 overall, 3-1 SAC) scored the first 15 points of the contest and never looked back as the Flying Queens finished with a season-high for scoring and matched a team record with their dozen 3-pointers on 26 attempts.
Robertson-Ellis said the Flying Queens played relaxed and free.
"Sometimes they think too much. I told them they have to have confidence when you shoot it."
Castillo made the first five 3-pointers she attempted and ended 6-of-11 from long range as she finished with a career-high 26 points. She was one 3-pointer from matching the team record of seven.
Wayland, ranked the equivalent of 28
th, was one rebound away from having three players post double-doubles.
Stephanie Afunugo finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds,
Jade Jones ended with a season-high 14 points and 11 boards, and
Nina Sato put in 10 points and pulled down nine rebounds.
Shawna Monreal added a dozen points to give Wayland five double-figure scorers. All 11 Flying Queens who played scratched.
MACU (5-6, 2-1) entered the game as the top 3-point shooting team in the NAIA, averaging more than 10 per game and hitting at a 43 percent clip. Against Wayland, the Lady Evangels made just 3-of-15 (20 percent) from the distance. The Queens also held MACU almost 28 point below their scoring average of 77.8 ppg, which ranks ninth in the NAIA.
Lady Evangel Kelli Tolar, who ranks No. 2 in NAIA scoring at 23.3 ppg, was held to just four points on 2-of-17 shooting. The NAIA's top 3-point shooter was 0-for-6 in that category.
The reigning NAIA National Player of the Week, Sarai Rodriguez who ranks second in the NAIA in 3-point percentage, did not suit up for the game. Lindsey Mann, No. 3 in 3-point percentage, was 2-of-5 and had 10 points, one behind the team-leading 11 of Alliyah Spatafora.
"(MACU) had had twice as many 3-pointers as their opponents coming in, so we knew we had to make them try to beat us with 2-pointers instead of 3-pointers," Robertson-Ellis said. "We wanted to take away their two main players so we face-guarded those guards and played 'help' defense.
"We really focused on taking their 3-point shot away."
The Lady Evangels ended with 25 turnovers, with Wayland scoring 41 points off turnovers compared to 11 for MACU. Wayland dominated the boards, 55-38.
"When we play defense and rebound like we did today it really matters," Robertson-Ellis said.
Wayland opened the game by hitting three straight 3-pointers, one by Castillo and two-in-a-row by
Shayla Monreal. The Flying Queens were up 29-7 at the end of the first quarter, 52-22 at the half, and 70-33 after the third.
"I felt like the team had a lot of poise today," Robertson-Ellis said. "When something didn't go right, they responded well.
"We also finished the game. We've struggled with that in the past, but today they kept pounding it. Today we played to win instead of not to lose."
The Flying Queens are home for their next two games against USAO (1-6. 0-2) at 6 p.m. Thursday and Southwestern Christian (4-9, 1-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday.
