Game Broadcast
OKLAHOMA CITY – A 15-2 rally spanning the third and fourth quarters helped eighth-ranked Wayland Baptist rally from behind and post a 68-62 victory over No. 9 Oklahoma City University in the championship game of the Sooner Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championships on Saturday afternoon at Abe Lemons Arena.
"When my players face a challenge, they tend to rise up to the occasion," Wayland coach
Alesha Ellis said. "I feel like we have the kids who are able to step up in games like this and make the plays we need."
Nobody did that better than
Maci Merket and
Morgan Bennett, who led the way for Wayland (28-5) by combining for nine 3-pointers. Merket tied her season-high with 22 points to go with 12 rebounds and five assists, while Bennett wound up with 16 points and seven assists.
Kaylee Edgemon tacked on 14 points, and all three earned tournament honors with Bennett and Edgemon voted all-tournament and Merket, a senior, named MVP.
The SAC Tourney title is Wayland's third all-time and second in four years. The program's first was in 1998.
The title guarantees the Flying Queens a sixth consecutive trip to the NAIA National Championships starting March 13. OCU will join the Flying Queens in Billings, Mont., having secured an automatic bid by winning the conference regular-season title. Pairings will be announced at 5 p.m. Wednesday via the
NAIA's Facebook page.
Unless the two program's meet at nationals, Wayland's win on Saturday completed a season sweep of the Stars (29-4).
Wayland trailed top-seeded OCU by as many as eight, 23-15, early in the second quarter, but the Flying Queens' shots started falling shortly thereafter. A 3 by Merket gave WBU its first lead three minutes before the half, although OCU was up one at the break, 34-33.
The Stars again broke out to an eight-point lead in the third period, 44-36, but shortly after that the Flying Queens went on their 15-2 run.
Ellis said she encouraged her team to "refocus and relax.
"We had to regroup and chip away at the lead," the coach said. "They calmed down and played ball. If our team can do that they're a pretty good team."
The game-changing spurt was fueled by 3-pointers, including a pair by Bennett. The junior drained one from several feet above the top of the key that put Wayland up 51-49 to end the third quarter.
Wayland never trailed again.
A 3 by Merket ended the big run that left the Flying Queens holding a 56-49 lead one minute into the fourth. The Stars battled back, twice pulling to within one.
It was a two-point game when freshman
Payton Brown hit WBU's only 3 not made by Merket or Bennett. That put the Queens up 65-60 with 2:14 left. Neither team scored for the next 1:20, until OCU's Abby Selzer hit a pair of free throws to cut it to three with 35 seconds showing.
Kelee Pool assisted Edgemon on a layup that again made it a two-possession game before Selzer – whose 26 points led all scorers – scored on a putback after grabbing a missed 3-pointer that made it 65-62 with 15 ticks to go.
OCU quickly fouled Bennett, who calmly drained both free throws. Pool then came up with a steal with three seconds to go. She was fouled and tacked on a free throw to account for the final six-point margin.
Wayland hit 10 (of 33) 3-pointers, compared to just 4 (of 19) for OCU. The game saw only 16 turnovers: nine by OCU and seven by the Queens. Both teams were sharp at the foul line, with Wayland hitting 8-of-9 and OCU 16-of-21.
Merket's double-double was the sixth of the season.
"We have to have her if we're going to win big games like this," Ellis said. "She stepped up today. When she does that I feel like we can beat anybody."
Selzer was the only Star with more than seven points.
Sooner Athletic Conference All-Tournament
All-Tournament: Morgan Bennett, Wayland Baptist; Kaylee Edgemon, Wayland Baptist; Vivian Holcomb, USAO; Michaela Kay, Oklahoma City; Abby Selzer, Oklahoma City.
Most Valuable Player: Maci Merket, Wayland Baptist.
Hustle Award Winner: Reyna Ammons, USAO.
