Robertson-Ellis sticking with similar blueprint vs. Bears

The Wayland Baptist Flying Queens will be looking to add to the tremendously successful season they've enjoyed so far when they begin play later this week at the NAIA Division I Women's National Basketball Championship.

 

The 11th-ranked, Sooner Athletic Conference champion Flying Queens (25-4) carry a 21-game win streak into the 32-team, single-elimination event as they prepare to take on the No. 22 University of Pikeville (Ky.) Bears at 9 a.m. Thursday in Independence, Mo.

 

Coach Alesha Robertson-Ellis is experiencing her most successful season since joining the Flying Queens program in 2013. This is the third time her teams have competed in the national tournament, and with the incredible run this year's squad has made thus far, she won't be altering too much leading up to the matchup the Bears (23-8).

 

"We're not trying to change too much," Robertson-Ellis said. "I think we are confident in how we've been playing."

 

The Bears have firepower coming from their four-guard, one-post lineup, and leading the way is sophomore Aundrea Matchen, who leads the team with 16 points and six rebounds a game.

 

"We're going to need to slow her down," Robertson-Ellis said. "They've got some good shooters and they like to push the ball. It's going to be a good matchup for us."

 

The Queens also will need to come up big against the Bears on the defensive boards as UPike ranks third in the NAIA in offensive rebounds per game (17.4).

 

Two of the Queens' strengths are maturity (seven players – Stephanie Afunugo, Laura Castillo, Reagan Hestand, Shawna Monreal, Shayla Monreal, Jada Riley and Nina Sato – have nationaltournament experience) and depth (Brianna Bogard, Krystal Forthan, Jade Jones and Maci Merket form a superior bench).

 

What Wayland had not done since a non-conference game at Abilene Christian was play in a huge arena like they'll experience in Independence. Robertson-Ellis changed that by taking them to Texas Tech's United Spirit Arena for practice last Saturday in order to help them become acclimated to a bigger stage.

 

"We had a good practice at Tech," she said.

 

Some of the keys they've been working on are driving the ball to the basket, ball pressure, talking on defense and scoring easier baskets rather than shooting from long range.

 

"We need to attack the rim," Robertson-Ellis said. "We rely on the 3-point shot a lot. I want to make sure we're prepared if those shots don't fall."

 

Robertson-Ellis and her team are as ready as they are going to be and looking to move further than they have in their recent past, which has seen Wayland falling in the first round at nationals the past two years. In fact, the Flying Queens haven't won at nationals in their last four trips, last winning in 2003.

 

"We're prepared and ready to go," Robertson-Ellis said.

 

Meanwhile, Pikeville is making its second consecutive trip to the tournament. Last season, the Bears were defeated in the first round by Langston University, 80-71.

 

This will be only the second all-time meeting between Wayland and Pikeville. The first was Dec. 20, 2006, in a game Wayland won, 86-50.

 

All Wayland games will be broadcast on 1090-AM and 1590-AM, with live streaming available atwww.NAIANetwork.org.

 

If the Queens win, they will play at 4:30 p.m. Friday, and if they continue to win they would play at 6:30 Saturday, 8 p.m. Monday and in the championship at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN3.