Box Score PUEBLO, Colo. – Wayland Baptist couldn't hold onto an early lead as the No. 22 Flying Queens suffered their first loss here Saturday evening to NCAA Division II's 17
th-ranked Colorado State-Pueblo, 78-63.
"Pueblo is very well-coached, and they've got some play-makers that stepped up when we started creeping back in," Wayland coach
Alesha Robertson-Ellis said.
It was the final tune-up prior to the start of Sooner Athletic Conference play for Wayland (4-1), which on the first day of CSU-Pueblo's Thanksgiving Classic defeated Colorado-Colorado Springs, 65-56. CSU-Pueblo improved to 6-0.
Wayland's
Jade Jones, who produced a double-double Saturday, was named to the all-tournament team.
WBU, operating in a new offense installed just a couple of days before the tournament, led 18-12 late in the first quarter and was up 27-25 when CSU-Pueblo scored nine straight points to take a seven-point lead. The Flying Queens, who shot just 19 percent (3-of-16) from the floor in the second quarter (3-of-10 3-pointers), cut it to 34-29 at the half, but the ThunderWolves started the second half on a 9-2 run to take a 43-31 advantage.
The Flying Queens battled back, and a 3-pointer by
Shayla Monreal to open the fourth quarter got Wayland to within 52-49. However, CSU-Pueblo knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and another field goal as part of an 8-0 spurt that again made the deficit 12, 68-56, midway through the fourth.
That sealed WBU's fate.
"Their play-makers made big plays. I felt like that was a huge difference in the game," Robertson-Ellis said.
The 15-point final margin was the ThunderWolves' largest lead.
Maci Merket's 11 points led Wayland's scorers, while Jones and
Shawna Monreal added 10 each.
Deborah VanDijk, getting her second start of the season, and
Gabby Gonzales added nine points apiece.
"Gabby came off the bench ad hit some shots, and that helped a lot," Robertson-Ellis said. "We looked a little sluggish tonight, which is to be expected with a long road trip and playing back-to-back (days). The girls off the bench helped us stay in the ballgame. We have to have everybody."
Jones produced a double-double, her third of the season, getting 11 rebounds to go with her 10 points.
The ThunderWolves were paced by 23 points and 10 rebounds from Molly Rohrer. Four others scored in double figures.
Wayland shot 35 percent from both the field (22-of-63) and 3-point range (9-of-26). The Queens made 10-of-13 foul shots (77 percent).
CSU-Pueblo hit 46 percent (30-of-65) from the field, including 6-of-16 (38 percent) from beyond the 3-point arc, and hit 12-of-17 (71 percent) free throws.
WBU turned it over 21 times, eight more than CSU-Pueblo.
Of the Flying Queens' new offense, which involves lots of movement and requires players to react to the defense, Robertson-Ellis is optimistic.
"I'm excited about it. It's going to be really good for us," she said. "You have to do a really good job of reading the defense and reading each other, and you have to keep moving.
"We're getting up more shots," the coach added. "The more we do it, the better we'll get at it. This being our first time running it, we actually looked really good."
As the Flying Queens continue to learn the offense, Robertson-Ellis said they will continue to rely on the defense.
"That's what's been keeping us in games, and that's what will continue to keep us in games," she said. "Friday night (against Colorado-Colorado Springs) our defense was awesome."
Also this weekend, VanDijk moved into the starting lineup.
"She might have the best shooting percentage of anyone on the team, and she gives us a big, strong presence in the paint," Robertson-Ellis said of the freshman from Nazareth. "Plus, I think this will take some pressure off Nina (Sato). She does a lot better when she's able to relax."
The Flying Queens start conference play at 6 p.m. Thursday in Bethany, Okla., against Southwestern Christian (7-2), which has won five in a row. They then play at No. 19 Oklahoma City on Saturday afternoon.
"We haven't had a chance yet to look at Southwestern Christian, but we know for sure OCU is tough like always and is playing very well. Daniela Wallen is a tremendous player, and overall they're a great team."
Wallen averages 21.2 points per game, seventh in the NAIA.
"We just need to get on the same page with our new offense this week," Robertson-Ellis said, "and continue playing tough defense."
