MUSKOGEE, Okla. – Freshman
Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant recorded her first double-double as fifth-ranked Wayland Baptist rolled to a 91-34 victory over Bacone here Thursday night.
With younger players getting plenty of playing time after the Flying Queens owned a 58-16 halftime lead against the former Sooner Athletic Conference member, McGehee-Pleasant scored 13 points and pulled down 13 rebounds – including nine on the offensive end – to help Wayland (25-2) to its 21
st consecutive win.
Jenna Cooper led Wayland in scoring with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field – including a pair of 3-pointers – and 2-of-2 free throws.
Cailyn Breckel and
Blakely Gerber added a dozen points apiece.
The Queens, who notched the first 13 points of the game, shot 46 percent (37-of-81) from the field, but just 4-of-24 (17 percent) from 3-point range. They were 13-of-16 (81 percent) from the foul line.
Wayland outrebounded the Warriors, 51-25, grabbing 21 offensive boards.
Bacone (3-21), which suffered 29 turnovers, was led in scoring by Danielle Smiley with nine points.
Although they no doubt could have had they pressed the issue, the Flying Queens fell short of reaching 100 points for what would have been a school record fifth-straight game and ninth time this season. WBU defeated Bacone when the teams met in Plainview, 108-41, leading that one 55-18 at halftime.
Wayland returns to SAC play at 2 p.m. Saturday in Siloam Springs, Ark., against John Brown (9-17, 5-12), which ended a two-game slide with a 79-62 win Thursday over Oklahoma-Panhandle State. The Flying Queens topped the Golden Eagles on Jan. 23 in Plainview, 89-59.
Saturday's game will be the last outing prior to the Queens' Feb. 27 showdown in Plainview against top-ranked, undefeated Oklahoma City University.
