OKLAHOMA CITY – Mid-America Christian came out on a mission Thursday, defeating Wayland Baptist in a Sooner Athletic Conference women's basketball game at the Gaulke Activity Center, 96-68.
Ranked the equivalent of 30
th in the NAIA, MACU (17-4, 11-4 SAC) led Wayland (12-8, 8-6) at the end of the first quarter, 25-12, and the Lady Evangels never looked back. The Queens cut it to seven midway through the second but trailed by 15 at halftime, 46-31.
WBU – which defeated then-No. 20 MACU on Dec. 3 in Plainview, 55-54 – never got any closer in the second half.
"I don't really know what to say, except that I don't have an answer for how poorly we executed," Wayland coach
Jason Cooper said. "I am very disappointed in our performance as a team. From the head coach down to the managers, we have to do better."
MACU's 96 points – which came five days after the Evangels defeated winless Central Christian (Kan.) 110-56 – were the most scored against the Queens since the 2019-20 season-opener when Wayland fell to No. 12 Central Methodist (Mo.), 98-91. The 28-point loss was the most-lopsided in five years, since 104-71 setback to No. 5 Oklahoma City to close out the 2017-18 regular-season.
Wayland wound up with a season-low 20 rebounds, half as many as MACU. That was in large part due to the Evangels shooting an impressive 59 percent (35-of-59) from the field, including 47 percent (9-of-19) from 3-point range where the Queens were 8-of-26 (31 percent).
The Queens, who suffered 19 turnovers compared to 16 for the Evangels, got 16 points and five assists from
Jenna Cooper-Jackson, 13 points from
Kaitlyn Edgemon and 11 from
Taylor Houston.
Ashlyn Shelley added nine points.
MACU got 21 points from Jaci Littell, who hit 8-of-8 free throws (MACU was 17-of-19 from the line), and 20 from Shy Christopher. Angeli Thomsen added 15 and Whitney Outon 14.
WBU next heads to Bethany, Okla., to take on Southwestern Christian (10-10, 8-7), which defeated Oklahoma-Panhandle State on Thursday, 68-59. Wayland fell to the Lady Eagles in the first half of conference play, 81-77 in overtime. The Queens will be looking to avenge what was just the second loss in 21 all-time meetings between the programs.
