Blakey fuels Flying Queens past SAGU

Having played basketball in four states over the past month, the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens returned to their Hutcherson Center home Thursday night and promptly secured their fifth Sooner Athletic Conference victory over Southwestern Assemblies of God University, 77-67.
 
The victory didn't come easy, though, as the Lady Lions put up a spirited fight. SAGU trailed by just three points with under four minutes to play before the sixth-ranked Flying Queens – who have never lost to SAGU in 14 meetings – ended the game on a 9-2 run.
 
"It was the first game back after the (Christmas) break, which is always somewhat difficult. That showed a little bit," Wayland coach Alesha Ellis said. "But a win after a break is always good."
 
The Flying Queens (11-2, 5-0 SAC) – who slipped three spots in the NAIA Top 25 after a win over top-ranked Vanguard but losses to two other ranked teams during their pre-Christmas trip to California – got off to a great start offensively and locked in a 13-point, 25-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
 
Wayland's first points came on a 3-pointer by Kambrey Blakey, who made the most of her first Flying Queens start by pouring in a career-high 25 points, along with eight rebounds. Blakey missed just two of her 11 field goals and made all three of her 3-point tries and all four free throws.
 
"She played a great game, I'm very proud of her," Ellis said.
 
Although Wayland held the lead the entire game, the Lady Lions (8-5, 2-3) clawed their way back from a 16-point deficit to trail by just six at halftime. SAGU's Lexi Rich, the reigning SAC Player of the Week, was a large contributor to the Lady Lions' perseverance, scoring 21 points on 8-of-22 shooting and handing out five assists. Post player Jenna Price right behind Rich with 17 points.
 
SAGU is ranked No. 3 in the NAIA in 3-point shooting percentage at 40 percent, but the Queens held them to 21 percent (4-of-19). Wayland shot 27 percent (7-of-26) from behind the arch.
 
The Queens, ahead by only four at the end of the third quarter, held onto the lead in the fourth, at times just barely. The Lady Lions came within two, 55-53, as the quarter opened on a layup from Rich. The Queens answered quickly with back-to-back layups from Deborah VanDijk and Blakey. VanDijk ended with 13 points.
 
Also scoring 13 for the Queens was junior Morgan Bennett, who after SAGU pulled to within 3 late extended the lead to 72-64 with a big 3-pointer following a bucket by VanDijk. Bennett, who played 38 minutes as guard Payton Brown deals with a concussion, added eight rebounds and six assists.
 
Blakey finished off Wayland's game-ending 9-2 run with a layup, followed by a pair of free throws by Maci Merket, who finished with 12 points.
 
"It's all about finding a way to win and do what it takes to be successful, and this group of girls always steps up to that challenge," Ellis said.
 
The Lady Lions suffered 12 turnovers, two more than Wayland, which shot 42 percent (28-of-66) from the field goal, while SAGU's field goal shooting percentage was only slightly less at 41% (26-of-64).
 
The Queens next face Texas Wesleyan (6-7, 4-1 SAC) in their next matchup in the Hutch at 2 p.m. Saturday. The third-place Rams won on the road Thursday over Oklahoma-Panhandle State, 54-42. Like Wayland, Wesleyan also spent time in California before Christmas, dropping two close games to No. 1 Vanguard, 83-77, and Hope International, 68-63.
 
"We've just got to get back to practice and start preparing for Wesleyan, because they're good," Ellis said. "They have lots of good post players and athletic guards. Preparation for a team like that is crucial."

2018-19 NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll – No. 2 (Jan. 2)

RANK	LAST WEEK	SCHOOL [FIRST PLACE VOTES]	RECORD	POINTS
1	2	Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) [9]	12-0	219
2	4	Columbia (Mo.)	9-2	205
2	6	MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)	11-1	205
4	9	Montana Western	11-0	200
5	1	Vanguard (Calif.)	11-2	193
6	3	Wayland Baptist (Texas)	10-2	184
7	5	Campbellsville (Ky.)	14-2	179
8	7	Shawnee State (Ohio)	13-3	162
8	8	Carroll (Mont.)	11-3	162
10	10	Oklahoma City	11-1	157
11	14	Menlo (Calif.)	11-2	154
12	15	Talladega (Ala.)	14-2	133
13	13	Providence (Mont.)	11-3	132
14	12	Our Lady of the Lake (Texas)	11-4	127
15	11	Westmont (Calif.)	9-4	126
16	NR	Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)	11-2	112
17	16	Bethel (Tenn.)	10-3	103
18	17	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	9-3	94
18	19	Lyon (Ark.)	10-1	94
20	20	William Penn (Iowa)	12-1	93
21	22	The Master's (Calif.)	10-4	88
22	18	Rocky Mountain (Mont.)	11-3	73
23	24	Central Methodist (Mo.)	9-4	63
24	NR	William Jessup (Calif.)	12-2	48
25	NR	LSU Alexandria (La.)	11-2	46

Receiving Votes: Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 29, Georgetown (Ky.) 28, Loyola (La.) 20, Baker (Kan.) 15, Arizona Christian 14, Huston-Tillotson (Texas) 13, William Woods (Mo.) 12, Xavier (La.) 10, Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 7, Evangel (Mo.) 4