Cooper-Jackson matches record with 8 3s, combines with Edgemon for 72

Jenna Cooper-Jackson matched a Flying Queens record with eight 3-pointers, and she combined with Kaitlyn Edgemon for 72 points as Wayland rolled to a 109-70 Sooner Athletic Conference win over Oklahoma-Panhandle State on Tuesday evening at Hutcherson Center.

"Coming off a tough week, we really needed a game to get us back on track. I thought we played with great energy and team spirit tonight," Wayland coach Jason Cooper said.

Edgemon poured in a career-high 38 points as the 5-foot-11 forward missed only two of her 16 field goal attempts (88 percent), including 4-of-5 3s. The super sophomore finished one rebound shy of a double-double, and the 38 points were three more than her previous-best of 35 against Langston last season.

"Kaitlyn was on fire – 14-of-16 from the floor. That's big time," Cooper said. "She is really playing some good basketball right now."

Jackson, meanwhile, went off for 34 points, matching her season-high first logged against Central Christian Dec. 10 (her career-high is 37 last season against SAGU). Jackson finished 13-of-26 from the floor, including 8-of-14 (57 percent) from long range. She hit three 3s in the first four minutes of the game then closed with four 3s in the fourth quarter, the last with just under a minute to play as she matched the program record held by Shayla Monreal, who nailed eight treys Feb. 25, 2017. 

"Jenna really got to settle in and knocked down some big 3s early that helped us pull away," Coach Cooper said. "I was most proud of how the entire team celebrated when Jenna tied the single-game 3-point record. Our team spirit and chemistry is unmatched in the conference. Even when we have struggled at times, I can count on these young women to come together, and have each other's backs."  
 
Jackson also corralled 11 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season (in addition to one triple-double). The senior moved to No. 9 on the program's career scoring list with 1,681 points, just 10 behind No. 8.

Meanwhile, the Queens (13-9, 9-7 SAC) ripped the nets for a season-high 16 3-pointers on 30 tries. That's two off the program record of 18 3s set during the 2019-20 season. Besides the dozen provided by Jackson and Edgemon, Ashlyn Shelley, who ended with 13 points, contributed three 3s while Manuella Donmeza got one.

Wayland's 109 points were 11 more than the previous high this season and the most since a 110-61 win over Central Christian last season. The Queens dished out a season-best 31 assists.

OPSU (2-17, 2-14) surprisingly outscored Wayland in the second quarter, 20-19, but was outscored by 15 in both the first and third and 10 in the fourth.

Next up for Wayland at 6 p.m. Thursday is winless Central Christian (0-20, 0-16), which Wayland beat in the first half of league play, 98-30.

"We have our eyes locked in on a big finish to the conference season and great showing in the SAC Tourney," Cooper said. "I feel like we are coming together little by little."