Gallery: (3-1-2021) Women's Basketball vs. Langston
Wayland Baptist fought off a spirited charge by Langston (Okla.) as the second-ranked Flying Queens secured their third straight Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament championship on Monday night in Hutcherson Center with a hard-earned 71-63 victory.
"The kids did a good job of keeping their composure and hanging in there and doing what it takes to win the game," Wayland coach
Alesha Ellis said. "We preach to them that your reaction to adversity determines winning and losing. Toward the end we kind of panicked for a time, but ultimately they did a good job with it."
Top-seeded Wayland (12-0) led by 20 early in the second half, and No. 7 seed Langston (8-7) seemed to be outmatched. But the Lady Lions, after making just one of their first 21 shots to start the game, came storming back.
After outscoring Wayland 26-12 in the third, Langston was within four going into the final 10 minutes. The Lady Lions made it a one-point game, 64-63, with 1:21 to play. But the Flying Queens – with tournament MVP
Kaylee Edgemon and all-tournament
Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant showing the way – scored the final seven points of the game to secure the crown.
The SAC Tourney title is Wayland's third straight, fourth in six years and fifth all-time, having won its first in 1998.
The Flying Queens now gear up for the NAIA National Championships, their eighth in as many years under Ellis. Pairings will be announced at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The tournament begins at eight pre-selected campus sights where 48 teams will divide into 16 three-team pods for mini-tournaments March 12 and 13. The winners of those 16 pods advance to nationals in Sioux City, Iowa, March 18-23.
By virtue of advancing to the conference tournament championship against regular-season co-champion and No. 1 seed Wayland, Langston also is headed to nationals for the first time since 2016.
The Lady Lions were making their first-ever appearance in the conference tournament final, having knocked off No. 2 seed Mid-America Christian in the quarterfinals and No. 3 seed Science & Arts of Oklahoma in the semis.
At first it didn't appear Langston belonged in the same gym with Wayland. But much like their regular-season game when the Flying Queens opened up a large early lead before having to hang on down the stretch, Monday's contest got interesting in a hurry.
After shooting just 5 percent from the field (1-of-20) in the first quarter, the Lady Lions suddenly got hot after halftime, making 11-of-22 attempts in the third while also ramping up the defensive pressure.
"Their shots just weren't falling. Some of that was because of our defense, I guess," Ellis said. "When a team goes 1-for-20 you better be up because at some point their shots are going to start falling."
They did, and after Langston got within four, Wayland managed to break back out to an 11-point lead midway through the fourth. The Lady Lions refused to throw in the towel, though, and went on a 10-2 run – which included a pair of 3-pointers by Asheika Alexander – to close to within two.
"I wanted that clock to keep ticking," Ellis said.
Wayland rediscovered itself just in time, with Edgemon scoring on the last of a handful of fast-break buckets on which her freshman sister Kaitlyn assisted. Kaylee then knocked down a pair of free throws after hauling in an offensive rebound, and when Langston failed to score on a second straight possession, McGhee-Pleasant drained a pair of free throws when she was fouled following the last of her 16 rebounds.
That made it a seven-point game, and after Langston missed another shot, a free throw by Wayland's
Jenna Cooper with 8 seconds to play ended the scoring.
"Langston is very athletic and quick and makes us play a different style of basketball," Ellis said. "We knew going in we would have to keep our composure. We knew we would face some adversity just because of their speed and their ability to pressure you. We have to be careful about things not snowballing on us."
After winning their quarterfinal game by 37 points and their semifinal over No. 23 Oklahoma City by 25, Ellis said the Flying Queens should benefit from a tight game.
"I felt like we needed a game like that. At the end of the day you're kind of glad. You just have to hope it pays off for you somewhere down the line."
Kaitlyn Edgemon scored 20 of her 26 points in the second half. Cooper finished with 14 points, six assists and five steals, while
Kaylee Edgemon added a dozen points.
McGhee-Pleasant was dominant in the first half, recording a dozen rebounds and eight points. She finished with 16 boards and added the two late free throws to her point total.
Payton Brown scored just three points but pulled down seven rebounds, registered five steals and had four assists in playing 39 minutes.
Wayland won despite hitting just 2-of-13 3-pointers.
The Lady Lions were paced by all-tournament selection Alexander, a senior forward who led all scorers with 30 points, including four 3-ointers. Alexander also had 11 rebounds in her 37 minutes of action. Talia Edwards and Orionna Shirley chipped in eight points apiece.
Joining Alexander on the all-tournament team for Langston was Adia Rogers.
Â
All-Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament
MVP: Kaylee Edgemon, Sr., Wayland Baptist
Zaria Dorsey, Jr., Science & Arts of Oklahoma
Asheika Alexander, Sr., Langston
Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant, So., Wayland Baptist
Adia Rogers, So., Langston
Abby Selzer, Jr., Oklahoma City
Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament
At Campus Sites
Tuesday's Results
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Wayland Baptist 99, No. 8 Panhandle State 62
No. 4 Oklahoma City 88, No. 5 Southwestern Christian 57
No. 3 USAO 86, No. 6 John Brown 62
No. 7 Langston 75, No. 2 Mid-America Christian 66
Friday's Results
Semifinals
Wayland Baptist 88, Oklahoma City 63
Langston 77, USAO 76
Monday's Result
Championship
Wayland Baptist 71, Langston 63
Â
