FORT WORTH – Wayland Baptist rallied from a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit to make off with a 77-70 victory over Texas Wesleyan in a showdown of Sooner Athletic Conference heavyweights at the Sid Richardson Center Thursday night.
"What a battle. Just grit and determination by our girls. We didn't win many of the statistical battles we usually see when we win a game, but the bottom line was they found a way to win," WBU coach
Jason Cooper said. "It took great effort by the entire team to overcome the lopsided athletic match-up."
The 10
th-ranked Flying Queens (25-3, 17-2 SAC) trailed 64-55 with 6½ minutes to play before scoring 11 unanswered points to kick off a 22-6 game-ending run.
Jenna Cooper, who led Wayland with 21 points and seven assists, scored seven of those first 11 points and dumped in 11 points in the fourth when the Flying Queens outscored the Lady Rams (19-5, 13-5), 25-15.
Cooper also came up with a pivotal back-court steal and layup with 45 seconds left that gave Wayland a four-point lead.
"Jenna's huge steal late deflated them. You could see their fire burn out after her last 3 followed by that steal," Coach Cooper said.
Texas Wesleyan, ranked the equivlaent of 32nd in the NAIA, missed two free throws after that, and after
Angel Hayden added a point for the Queens, the Lady Rams trimmed it to three with a bucket with 15 seconds to go.
Texas Wesleyan fouled and
Kaylee Edgemon made the first of two free throws. She missed the second, but Hayden grabbed the rebound and was able to hit one more foul shot to make it a five-point game.
After the Lady Rams misfired on a 3, Cooper rebounded, was fouled and put it away by sinking two free throws.
Hayden ended with 16 points and a team-best 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
Kaylee Edgemon added 16 points and four blocks, and
Kaitlyn Edgemon had 15 points and seven rebounds.
"Angel had a great showing and some huge plays down the stretch and a timely double-double," Coach Cooper said. "Big Edge and Jenna didn't get a lot of boards but they blocked out in the fourth quarter with everything they had.
"Tonight at different times Kaylee, Kaitlyn and Jenna all went on little mini-runs of their own on offense. That's something special about this team. We have consistently had four players in double figures."
Two Lady Rams posted double-doubles, Kertisa Amos with 29 points and 16 boards, and Zarria Carter with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Makayla Coy added 13 rebounds and eight points.
Wayland overcame 2-of-17 shooting (12 percent) from 3-point range, in part because Texas Wesleyan was even worse (1-of-13, 8 percent). From inside the arc, the Queens shot 59 percent (29-of-49).
WBU, which defeated TXWES earlier this season in Plainview, 88-80, was outrebounded, 46-36, with the Lady Rams pulling down 22 offensive rebounds. It was just the fifth time this season the Flying Queens lost the rebounding battle, and by the largest deficit.
Wayland plays its final regular-season road game beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday in Chickasha, Okla., against fourth-place Science & Arts of Oklahoma (19-6, 13-5). The Flying Queens will be trying to avenge one of their two SAC losses after the Drovers beat Wayland on Jan. 6 in Plainview, 81-77.
