Box Score
McPHERSON, Kan. – Two days after their most significant win of the season, the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens recorded their second most-lopsided victory, 91-35 over Sooner Athletic Conference newcomer Central Christian College here Saturday afternoon.
Despite the blowout victory, Wayland coach
Alesha Ellis said her team "got better," which is not always the case in a lopsided game.
"This might be the first time in my time at Wayland that we got better in a game like this. I don't think we played down to their level. We came out and made big plays. We got to work on things we needed to," Ellis said.
The 56-point margin of victory was the largest for Wayland (14-3, 8-2 SAC) since a 58-point, 97-39 win over University of the Southwest in the season-opener. The 91 points were the team's third-most of the season, and Central Christian's 35 points were the lowest for a WBU opponent since an 88-25 win over McMurry on Nov. 16, 2015.
Wayland was coming off a 66-57 road victory Thursday over fifth-ranked Oklahoma City.
"We were mentally locked in both of these games, which is something we've been trying to get better at," Ellis said. "If you can get yourself mentally prepared to play the best team in the conference, then turn around and do the same thing for the last-place team, that's pretty good. We hit both extremes this week."
CCC shot just 13 percent (7-of-56) from the field, including 6 percent (1-of-16) from 3-point range. Twenty of the Lady Tigers' 35 points were free throws.
"Our goal was to hold them under 35 points," Ellis said.
All 11 Flying Queens scored, led by
Deborah VanDijk's 18 points and
Maci Merket's 17.
"Deborah shot the ball well," Ellis said of VanDijk's 7-of-9 field goal effort. "Everybody got quite a few minutes."
Merket, who also had 10 rebounds, nailed 5-of-11 3-pointers to lead the Queens' 12-of-47 team effort.
Morgan Bennett, the NAIA assists leader, finished three rebounds shy of a triple-double (11 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds).
Kambrey Blakey added 10 points.
Wayland's bench outscored Central Christian's, 35-3, and the Flying Queens got 62 points in the paint and had 20 fast-break points compared to none for the Lady Tigers, who suffered 35 turnovers. Wayland totaled 24 steals, paced by
Jada Riley's five. Wayland pulled down 62 rebounds.
With Merket nailing a pair of 3-pointers, the Flying Queens scored the first eight points of the game. WBU led 18-12 after the first period then took command in the second, outscoring CCC 21-7 to lead 39-19 at the half. The Flying Queens added another 20 points to their lead in the third period when they outscored the home team, 25-5, and 16 more in the fourth (27-11).
Central Christian, in last place in the SAC, fell to 1-17, 0-10. It was the Lady Tigers' 11
th straight loss.
Ellis reflected on Thursday's win over No. 5 OCU.
"I'm proud of that win, for sure," the coach said. "We knnew we would face adversity, and how we handled the adversity made a difference. I don't think we let down. We regrouped and made plays."
She said Riley was the "glue" that held the team together.
"She guarded their best player and did an amazing job on the defensive end. The girls who needed to step up did, and we had heavy minutes from girls off the bench. That's what we needed to have."
The Flying Queens are back in Hutcherson Center for a 6 p.m. Thursday contest against Southwestern Christian (7-9, 3-7), a 69-58 loser at Texas Wesleyan on Saturday.
After the first half of SAC play, WBU stands tied for second place with USAO, behind OCU (16-3, 9-1).
