Shelley, Onwugbufor give Queens big boost

Ashlyn Shelley hit a season-high 15 points and Cassie Onwugbufor a career-best 11, and Kaitlyn Edgemon logged her fourth double-double of the season as the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens posted a 63-53 Sooner Athletic Conference win over Langston on Saturday afternoon at Hutcherson Center.

Wayland (15-9, 11-7 SAC) led by just three with under three minutes to play and by only five, 56-51, with 1:40 to go. Then Shelley nailed a huge 3-pointer and, after Langston missed a 3, Edgemon sank a pair of free throws to double the margin to 10 with 19 seconds to play, securing the Flying Queens' third-straight win.

"That was a hard-fought game. Langston is very athletic and plays hard. We earned every single point we made tonight," WBU coach Jason Cooper said.

All of Shelley's 15 points came via 3-pointers as the junior came within three of her career-best. Edgemon finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Jenna Cooper-Jackson chipped in 10.

"When Jenna (2-of-14 FGs) and Kaitlyn (6-of-15) are struggling this season we've needed someone else to step up, and today Ash was huge," Coach Cooper said. "She is playing with so much confidence and her shot is almost automatic right now.

"I was proud of Cassie, too. She played some big minutes and kept us going early."  

Wayland, which defeated Langston earlier in the season, 74-73, won despite being out-rebounded, 46-42, and committing four more turnovers (18-to-14). While the Queens weren't spectacular on offense shooting 37 percent from the field, Langston shot a miserable 27 percent (18-of-66), including 5-of-16 (19 percent) from long range.

Langston's 53 points were the fewest for the Lions since an early-season 121-46 loss to LSU.
 
"We needed that win in a bad way. Now we have to keep it rolling these next four games," Cooper said.

The Queens hit the road for their final two regular-season road games next week, first taking on Oklahoma City (10-11, 7-9) at 6 p.m. Thursday then John Brown (16-6, 10-6) at 2 Saturday. Wayland beat OCU, 80-66, when they met in Plainview but lost to JBU, 68-61. The winner of Saturday's game between the Flying Queens and Golden Eagles, who won their fourth straight over UNT Dallas on Saturday, 71-52, will go a long way toward determining the No. 4 seed in the SAC Tournament and a first-round home game.

Wayland wraps up the regular-season at home Feb. 16 and 18 against No. 19 USAO and No. 17 Texas Wesleyan.