OKLAHOMA CITY – A week after hitting a program record 18 3-pointers, Wayland Baptist sank 16 as the fifth-ranked Flying Queens throttled Mid-America Christian here Saturday afternoon in Sooner Athletic Conference action, 103-69.
"MACU is always a tough game on the road, and I'm just really proud of our girls for playing as hard as they did. We knew we were going catch MACU's best game on their home floor and had to be ready to play," Wayland coach
Alesha Ellis said. "It always helps to have 16 3-pointers on the road."
In third place right behind the Flying Queens in the SAC standings, MACU (17-7, 9-5 SAC) led much of the first quarter, until
Morgan Bennett's 3-pointer put Wayland (21-2, 13-1) up 21-19 with 2:50 to go in the period. WBU never trailed again.
The Evangels, ranked the equivalent of 34
th in the NAIA, were within three, 36-33, midway through the second period when Wayland went on a 13-0 half-ending run to take a commanding 49-33 lead into intermission.
Kambrey Blakey hit a bucket right before the horn for the 16-point spread.
Payton Brown opened the second half with a 3-pointer to complete a 19-0 march, then the Flying Queens ended the third with an impressive run, this one 12 straight for a 71-44 lead.
Wayland scored a game-high 32 points in the fourth period when the Queens took their largest lead, 39 points at 103-64.
"Our kids had a bad taste in their mouths from last year," Ellis said in reference to Wayland's 85-66 setback to MACU in Oklahoma City on Jan. 24, 2019.
Saturday's lopsided win, Wayland's 17
th in a row, followed a 93-71 victory over the Evangels earlier this season in Plainview.
Blakey ended with a season-high 21 points, six off the senior's career-best, to go with a season-best eight rebounds.
"Kambrey had a solid game and came in off the bench and gave us some really good minutes," Ellis said. "Payton and Mo shot the ball well, too."
Payton Brown added 19 points, two off her season-best, while
Morgan Bennett tacked on 18 along with eight assists.
Kaylee Edgemon and
Jenna Cooper scored 12 and 10, respectively. To give Wayland five in double figures.
Wayland's 16 3-pointers came on 32 attempts (50 percent). Bennett led the way by going 6-of-10, followed by Brown at 4-of-8. The Queens shot 49 percent overall (38-of-77) and at the free-throw line were almost perfect (11-of-12). Blakey smoothed in all six of her foul shots.
WBU committed just eight turnovers and outrebounded MACU, 52-33.
"We knew we had to win the boards this game and get every hustle play," Ellis said. "The girls executed our game plan well and it was an overall great effort by everyone."
MACU was paced by Alexis Shannon's 24 points.
It was Wayland's fourth game to score over 100 points in its last five outings.
The Queens return home to Central Christian (5-16, 2-12) at 6 p.m. Thursday and Langston (8-11, 5-9) at 2 p.m. Saturday. In the first half of SAC play, Wayland defeated Central, 92-67, and Langston, 79-50.
