Shayla nets 25 in 10th straight win

Box Score "I'm just glad we won," Wayland Baptist coach Alesha Robertson-Ellis said after senior Shayla Monreal tied a program-record with seven 3-pointers and scored a career-high 25 points to lead the No. 19 Flying Queens to a 70-65 Sooner Athletic Conference victory over a stubborn Texas Wesleyan team Thursday night in Hutcherson Center.
 
It was the 10^th straight win for the Flying Queens (15-2, 6-1 SAC).
 
Wesleyan (11-6, 4-3), after falling behind 15-4 to start the game, was able to stay close most of the way, but was never able to take the lead.
 
The Queens were up by 15 at intermission, 38-23, and midway through the third quarter held a lead as large as 17 points, but Wesleyan managed to slowly whittle down the deficit.
 
It was still a 12-point contest going into the fourth, but the Lady Rams pulled to within four, 53-49, with 8:05 still left.
 
That's as close as they got, however.
 
Monreal popped back-to-back 3s to help take WBU's lead back out to double figures. Wesleyan rallied again and cut it to five, 65-60, at the 1:10 mark.
 
The Flying Queens came through at the free throw line down the stretch as Monreal drilled 4-of-4 foul shots in the final 20 seconds.
 
Wayland, which ranks fifth in the NAIA in free throw percentage at 76 percent, only got to the stripe 10 times all game, making eight.
 
"I don't think that we had our best game tonight, but it's a sign of a good team when different people can step up and do what needs to be done," Robertson-Ellis said.
 
Robertson-Ellis was very proud of the team's twins. Shayla's 25 points were 10 more than she's scored in any game this season and five better than her previous career-best. Shawna tacked on 10 points as the two were the lone Flying Queens in double figures.
 
Robertson-Ellis also mentioned how freshman Savannah Cognasi came off the bench and played a strong game, scoring eight. Jade Jones also added eight while freshman Deborah VanDijk had six to go with 10 rebounds. Gabby Gonzales also off the bench and dropped in a pair of big 3-pointers.
 
Texas Wesleyan had four players in double figures, led by Bailey Broadnax with 16.
 
Robertson-Ellis said the Flying Queens must guard against getting comfortable and not relax when they assume a big lead.
 
"Tomorrow we will come back and prepare for (Southwestern Assemblies of God University) on Saturday, and they have what it takes to beat us," the coach said of the Flying Queens' 1 p.m. contest against the Lady Lions. "We have to be mentally and physically ready."
 
SAGU (9-7, 2-5) has dropped four of its last five games, including back-to-back home losses to Mid-America Christian (77-63) and Bacone () which followed a 52-43 road victory over then-No. 18 John Brown.