Bacone no match for Flying Queens

The Flying Queens played their third home game of the week Saturday afternoon in Hutcherson Center and sixth-ranked Wayland Baptist locked in another win, a 67-point victory over Bacone College (Okla.), 108-41.
 
The game against the former Sooner Athletic Conference Warriors (2-15) got off to a frenzied start as both teams were putting up shots at a rapid pace. A 3-pointer from Madison Slinkey allowed Bacone its only lead of the game early on.
 
The Flying Queens (17-2) answered immediately and went on a 32-5 run over the final four minutes of the first quarter to assume a 32-12 lead. Wayland shot 12-of-21 (57 percent) from the field in the first period and held the Warriors to 4-of-13 (31 percent) shooting
 
Wayland had a particularly noteworthy second quarter, outscoring Bacone 33-6 on amazing 15-of-18 (83 percent) shooting, including 2-of-3 (67 percent) from the 3-point line. Bacone only put up 12 shots in the stanza, including four missed 3-point tries.
 
A healthy 47-point, 65-18 lead to open the second half allowed the Flying Queens' bench to put in a lot of time in the final half. Keeping up the energy and intensity of the starting five, Wayland's bench contributed a grand total of 63 points, including career highs from freshmen Tayjanna McGee-Pleasant, who led the Queens with 16 points (10 in the second half), and Ashlyn Shelly, who finished with 11.
 
Also scoring in double digits for the Flying Queens were Morgan Bennett who scored 14 points and totaled eight assists in 17 minutes of play, Jenna Cooper with 11 points, and Kaylee Edgemon alongside Blakely Gerber who each chipped in 10. It matched a season-high for the freshman Gerber. Kelea Pool just missed giving Wayland a seventh double-digit scorer with nine.
 
Bennett finished with eight assists, leaving her with 610 and just four short of breaking the program's career record of 613.
 
The strong bench played pushed the Queens to as much as a 70-point lead as Wayland outscored the Warriors 21-13 in the third and 22-10 in the fourth.
 
The 108 points marked a season-high for Wayland, the most since putting up 110 last season against Central Christian, Kan.
 
The team's 14^th straight win is Wayland's longest streak since the 2016-17 season when they also won 14 in a row. The Flying Queens ripped off 21 straight the year before that.
 
The 67-point win fell considerably short of Wayland's largest winning margin ever, 103 points in a 130-27 win over Texas Lutheran during the 1977-78 season.
 
Saturday's victory came on an impressive 46-of-82 (56 percent) shooting from the field, including 12-of-35 from the three. The Queens also made 9-of-12 from the free-throw line, and committed only six turnovers. The Warriors finished 15-of-46 (33 percent) shooting, 2-of-13 from behind the arc, and had 27 turnovers.
 
The Queens will be back in action, and open the second half of conference play, on their home court against Texas Wesleyan (12-5, 7-3 SAC) at 6 p.m. Thursday. Fourth-place Wesleyan won at home Saturday over Central Christian, 62-42.
 
The Queens' most recent meeting with the Rams (12-5, 7-3) was Jan. 4 in Fort Worth where Wayland won, 78-64.