Queens hand top-ranked OCU first loss

A much-anticipated showdown between top-ranked Oklahoma City University and fifth-ranked Wayland Baptist resulted in favor of the Flying Queens as they took down the previously-undefeated Stars on Thursday night in Hutcherson Center, 65-50.
 
"We're proud of the kids tonight. This group is not only deep but they're competitors." Wayland coach Alesha Ellis said of her squad. "Going up against the No. 1 team, I don't have to say much to them, they were ready to go."
 
Both teams came ready to play knowing that a piece of the Sooner Athletic Conference title was likely on the line, and it was a hard-fought fight until the final buzzer.
 
The Queens (27-2, 18-1 SAC) set the pace quickly with back-to-back jumpers by Kelea Pool, and the Stars (27-1, 18-1) answered promptly to tie the game at 4 — the first and last time the game would be tied.
 
Wayland outscored OCU 17-9 in the first quarter, but the Stars weren't going down without a fight, matching the Queens' second-period scoring as both teams added a dozen to their totals before heading to the locker rooms with Wayland up by seven, 36-29.
 
The game took a turn when the Queens' 11-point lead – after Morgan Bennett opened third-quarter scoring with a 3-pointer -- diminished to a 2-point lead, 36-34, over the course of the third quarter. A jump shot by Wayland's Kaylee Edgemon at the conclusion of the quarter seemed to buoy the Queens to finish with a strong final 10 minutes.
 
So, too, did a pair of technical fouls against OCU coach Bo Overton, assessed back-to-back as he argued a non-foul call early in the fourth period. After an animated Overton confronted all three officials then exited the court, Wayland's Jenna Cooper almost made the Stars pay the maximum as she hit three of the four technical free throws. Kambrey Blakey made it hurt even worse when she drained a 3-pointer that got the entire gym -- some 700 strong -- on its feet, capping an 8-0 spurt and expanding a four-point lead to 10 in a matter of just 12 seconds.
 
OCU never got closer than seven after that as Wayland slowly pulled away, scoring seven unanswered points to build a 17-point lead just before the final buzzer.
 
"Tonight they did everything we asked them to do," Ellis said of her team. "They followed the game plan to a 'T', and when we had to make changes, they adjusted perfectly."
 
Wayland's win -- its 23rd in a row -- avenged a 70-46 loss to OCU on Nov. 23 in Oklahoma City.
 
Edgemon led the scoring for the Queens with 15 points to go with rebounds. Cooper and Blakey each scored 12, with Cooper also pulling down eight boards. Also in double-digits for the Queens was Bennett who contributed 11 points and seven assists. Pool pulled down eight rebounds while Payton Brown was solid with seven points, eight boards and five steals.
 
"You can't coach effort, and these kids give it all they've got every single night and I can't tell you how happy that makes me. OCU is a really great team and to beat them... it's just special," said Ellis, who concluded her evening by kissing a calf as part of an effort to collect donated shoes for orphans.
 
The Queens went 24-of-66 (36 percent) from the field, including 7-of-26 (27 percent) from behind the arch.
 
Wayland took care of the ball against OCU's pressing defense and limited their turnovers to only eight, while the Stars gave it away 15 times.
 
The Stars also shot 36 percent (20-of-56), but went just 2-of-14 (14 percent) from the three. OCU guard Mallory Lockhart, who averages 14.7 points per game, was held to only six. Abby Selzer spearheaded the Stars with 14 points.
 
Wayland managed to out-rebound the bigger Stars, 43-33, grabbing 19 offensive boards compared to OCU's 11.
 
The Queens will conclude the regular-season Saturday at home against Southwestern Christian (19-8, 11-8), while the Stars meet last-place Oklahoma-Panhandle State (6-23, 0-19) in Goodwell. Should both teams win as expected, Wayland and OCU would share the title. The Stars would earn the No. 1 seed for the SAC Tournament based on having a better record against NAIA Division I competition.
 
The Flying Queens will host a SAC Tournament quarterfinal at 6 p.m. Tuesday against the No. 7 seed, either Southwestern Assemblies of God or Langston. The winners of the four first-round games advance to the semifinals to be hosted by Wayland on March 6.
 
Should the tournament seeds hold true, fans would be treated to a rematch in the Hutch between the Queens and Stars in the conference tournament championship March 7.