Box Score DENTON, Texas – Heading into their final game of the 2014 calendar year, the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens were looking to pick up a win and avoid a three-game losing streak in the process. Texas Women's University had other plans, however, defeating the Queens, 83-71, in Kitty Magee Arena on Saturday.
Texas Women's University (7-4) took an early 5-2 lead, but a three-pointer from
Laura Castillo and a free throw from
Shawna Monreal gave the Queens a 6-5 advantage two and a half minutes into the game.
Wayland (4-6) then surrendered the lead after two free throws from TWU, but the score swung back in favor of the Queens after Castillo sank two free throws of her own.
The Queens maintained their lead for the first half of the period, jumping out to as many as four points, but with 10:26 left, Barbara Kolb made a layup to give TWU a 23-21 lead, one that would stand for the remainder of the game.
Wayland tied the game, 29 all, with six minutes left in the first half, but the Pioneers went on a 12-2 run to give themselves a 10-point lead.
Not wanting to fall any further behind after coming out of halftime down 41-33, the Queens cut the lead back down to a manageable five points in the first minute and a half, but the Pioneers responded with a 12-3 run to further distance themselves from Wayland.
With 13 minutes left in the game, TWU jumped out a 54-31 lead, its largest of the night.
Although a comeback looked bleak, the Queens continued to fight their way back into the game. After going down 13, Wayland went on an 18-6 run over a five minute span, coming within a single possession of tying the game.
Laura Castillo, one of two Queens to score 20 points Saturday, made a layup with less than eight minutes left to cut the lead to three, 60-57.
Two Pioneer free throws gave Texas Woman's University some breathing room, but
LaTericka Anderson knocked down a jumper on Wayland's next possession to bring the Queens within three points again.
Wayland never allowed the Pioneers to get out of reach until the final minute and a half of the game when Texas Woman's Kenesha Saygo knocked down two jumpers and a pair of free throws to ice the game, 83-71.
Castillo and
Iesha Greer led all scorers with 20 points each, and
Shawna Monreal and
LaTericka Anderson added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Wayland's starters outscored TWU's starters, 69-42, but the Pioneers' bench was the difference, outscoring WBU's reserves, 41-2. The Queens also lost the turnover battle, giving away 16 possessions compared to just nine from the Pioneers.
The Queens will try and break its three-game skid in the new year when they travel to Abilene to take on McMurry at 1 p.m. on Jan. 3. Wayland's next home game is at 6 p.m. on Jan. 8 against Texas Wesleyan.
