GOODWELL, Okla. –
Jenna Cooper recorded a rare triple-double and Wayland Baptist dominated in the paint as the No. 6 Flying Queens eased to an 83-40 Sooner Athletic Conference victory over Oklahoma-Panhandle State here Tuesday.
Wayland improved to 11-1 overall and remained perfect in five conference games. OPSU fell to 3-4 on the season and 1-4 in the SAC.
"Our overall commitment to the team concept has become our driving force these last two weeks. We have dominated the paint the past three games and that has really opened up our offense, which in turn makes our defense have more energy," Wayland coach
Jason Cooper said.
The Queens outrebounded OPSU by 35, 65-30.
"I am not sure I've ever coached a team that has dominated the boards to that extent," Cooper said. "We pulled down about 70 percent of the available rebounds. That is an incredible stat."
Interestingly,
Jenna Cooper ended with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as the junior forward posted the first triple-double for a Flying Queen since 2019 when freshman Cailyn Breckel went for 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in a 113-26 drumming of Bacone.
"Jenna's triple-double is a testament to her desire for team success," Coach Cooper said. "She is our second leading scorer and also leads us in rebounding and assists. It has always been an underrated and often under-appreciated part of her game. She wants to win, period."
Besides Jenna, who last January missed a triple-double by two assists, four other Flying Queens posted double-digit points or rebounds, and two of those had double-doubles. Second-year freshman (due to COVID)
Kaitlyn Edgemon ended with a team-high 20 points and a dozen rebounds while
Fapou Semebene put up 15 points and 12 more boards.
Kaylee Edgemon added 12 points and
Angel Hayden 11 rebounds.
"As a coach you get excited when you have four people scoring in double figures, but to have four in double figures on the boards is very special," Coach Cooper said.
The Flying Queens were perfect from the free-throw line (10-of-10) while making just 1-of-16 from 3-point range. Overall, WBU was 36-of-81 (44 percent) from the field. OPSU shot 19 percent (5-of-26) from long range.
Wayland scored 22 points in each of the first two quarters to lead 44-18 at halftime. The Queens put up 17 points in the third before another 22-point period in the fourth.
OPSU's two leading scorers netted six points each.
It was the final conference game of the year for the Flying Queens, who head to Florida for their next two games against St. Thomas (Fla.) in Miami Gardens on Dec. 13 and Florida National on Dec. 15. WBU returns to SAC play Jan. 1 at Oklahoma City University.
