CHICKASHA, Okla. – Wayland Baptist pulled away from Science & Arts in the fourth quarter as the 10
th-ranked Flying Queens avenged an earlier loss by winning their seventh straight game here Saturday afternoon, 66-56.
"We are collectively digging in and battling," WBU coach
Jason Cooper said. "It's easy to win when you're scoring 84 points a game, but the last three games we've won by playing the whole game: defense, press breaks, transition and offense."
The win, combined with a loss Saturday by Mid-America Christian, leaves Wayland alone atop the Sooner Athletic Conference standings.
In its final regular-season road game of the season, Wayland (26-3, 18-2 SAC) trailed much of the second quarter, although never by more than five points. By halftime the Queens had taken a 32-31 lead, and they never trailed in the second half.
WBU was up 45-42 going into the fourth when they began to start slowly pull away. The Queens extended the margin to as many as 13 points on a 3-pointer by
Ashlyn Shelley with 2:20 to play.
"I am proud of our industriousness and relentless," Coach Cooper said.
The win avenged an 81-77 loss to the Drovers on Jan. 6 in Plainview.
Jenna Cooper led Wayland with 20 points and five assists while also getting seven rebounds.
Kaylee Edgemon added 19 points, six boards and three blocks while
Kaitlyn Edgemon got 11 points and six boards and
Angel Hayden 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds and three steals.
"Today was a great team effort," Coach Cooper said. "It's not just one person, it's whole unit working as one. It is evident in the stats. All starters scored and had multiple rebounds, assists and steals. This may have been our most complete game of the year."
S&A was led by Milagros Carrera with 16 points. Zaria Dorsey ended with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Kaytlen Johnson got 11 points.
Wayland 44 percent (27-of-61) from the field, including 5-of-18 (28 percent) from 3-point range. The Queens uncharacteristically struggled from the free-throw line (7-of-15, 47 percent).
The Queens suffered 11 turnovers while S&A gave it away 16 times.
Wayland takes over sole possession of first place in the SAC following a 75-58 road loss by MACU to John Brown on Saturday.
The Queens wrap up the regular-season with two home games next week, first against Southwestern Assemblies of God (9-16, 6-13) at 6 p.m. Thursday then against North Texas-Dallas (11-16, 5-15) at 2 p.m. Saturday. In the first half of league play, WBU defeated SAGU, 89-71, and UNT-Dallas, 91-77.
"It's going to be a tough battle to finish out the regular-season but we can do it," Coach Cooper said.
