Box Score WAXAHACHIE – After claiming Wayland Baptist's first-ever Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season championship, the Flying Queens are one win away from laying claim to their first SAC Tournament crown.
Laura Castillo scored 17 points on five 3-pointers, and the No. 12 Flying Queens opened up a close game in the third period to secure an 85-65 victory over John Brown University (Ark.) in Friday afternoon's semifinals.
"(John Brown) was another tough team to beat," Wayland coach
Alesha Robertson-Ellis said. "I'm very proud of this win."
Wayland (24-4), winner of 20 straight games, now will try to defeat No. 17 Oklahoma City University (20-7) for the third time this season when the Flying Queens and defending national champion Stars square off in the tournament finals at 4 p.m. Saturday. OCU edged cross-town rival Mid-America Christian in its semifinal, 87-85. Saturday's winner receives an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships in Independence, Mo., although Wayland already is guaranteed an at-large bid to its third straight national tournament.
Against John Brown (18-14), which handed Wayland its only conference loss in the regular-season, the Flying Queens never trailed, although it was much tighter than the final score indicates. It was tied at 34-all late in the second quarter, and WBU led by just three at the half.
The Flying Queens were up 42-38 when they began to pull away.
Jade Jones and
Nina Sato converted back-to-back 3-point plays, the first following a steal by
Shayla Monreal and the second after a block by Jones. Castillo made it nine straight points when she popped a 3-pointer, expanding the lead to 51-38.
Wayland went into the fourth holding a 57-45 advantage, and when the Flying Queens went on a 12-0 run early in the period, it was all over.
Stephanie Afunugo hit back-to-back buckets, Castillo drilled another 3,
Krystal Forthan converted an and-one, and
Shayla Monreal scored on a putback during the game-deciding push that ended with 6:45 left in the game.
The Golden Eagles didn't get closer than 15 the rest of the way.
Robertson-Ellis said her team had a tough time adjusting to the referee's tight officiating, which resulted in 23 Wayland fouls.
"The refs were calling it pretty tight, and that's tough to adjust to sometimes," Robertson-Ellis said. "But I felt like our girls reacted well and eventually adjusted."
Once again, the Flying Queens called on their bench when starters got into foul trouble.
"We were deep enough on the bench to get through," said Robertson-Ellis, who called WBU's substitutes "precious jewels."
"When you have a deep bench, it always helps. You can put those guys in and they can carry the load."
Besides Castillo's 17, Forthan ended with 13 off the bench and
Shayla Monreal 11.
Brianna Bogard contributed nine points while fellow sub Jones wound up with eight points and seven rebounds, and Sato the exact opposite: seven points and eight boards.
Shawna Monreal had eight points, six rebounds and fourth assists.
Wayland, whose bench outscored JBU 37-9, shot 53 percent (32-of-61) from the field and 55 percent (11-of-20) from 3-point range, while going 10-of-14 (71 percent) at the foul line. JBU hit just 12-of-24 free throws while shooting 39 percent (22-of-57) from the field, including 9-of-26 (35 percent) from long range.
Wayland out-rebounded the Golden Eagles, 41-31.
The Flying Queens now turn their attention to OCU, a team they beat 82-67 and 72-60, although Robertson-Ellis said the Stars are a different team now after the addition of guard Mariana Duran.
"She got eligible the last game of the season, and she's tough," Robertson-Ellis said of Duran, who has averaged 11.3 points in three games. "They go to her a lot."
"It will be a big challenge for us, but our girls know how to beat them. We just have to go in with that attitude."
