Box Score Box Score GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Wayland Baptist trailed by 12 points in the first half and was never able to catch all the way up as the No. 10 Flying Queens fell to 11
th-ranked Great Falls (Mont.) here Saturday night, 88-80.
The Flying Queens (2-2) were up 15-11 before the Lady Argonauts (6-2) scored 12 unanswered points to start a 20-2 run. Great Falls never trailed again, although the Flying Queens made a valiant comeback.
After trailing 45-33 at the half 45-33, Wayland cut it to six points, 51-45, midway through the third quarter then tied it up at 61 on a 3-pointer by
Shawna Monreal with less than a minute left in period. Morgan Grier answered with a 3 for Great Falls, however, and the Flying Queens went into the fourth down 64-62.
But Great Falls scored the first seven points of the final 10 minutes to take a 71-62 advantage. Wayland trimmed the deficit to five on a couple of occasions, but that's as close as the Flying Queens came as the Lady Argos were able to hit their free throws in the closing minutes.
Monreal ended with a career-high 21 points, including four of Wayland's nine 3-pointers.
Maci Merket added three 3s and 15 points while
Stephanie Afunugo got 13 and
Shayla Monreal 10.
Jade Jones contributed a dozen rebounds while
Nina Sato had nine points and eight boards.
Great Falls, coming off back-to-back losses to No. 5 Westmont, Calif., and No. 14 The Master's, Calif., was led by the 28 points of Erin Legel, who finished with half of her team's 12 3-pointers, all in the first half. Nneka Nnadi chipped in 24 points and eight rebounds while Morgan Grier got 17 points.
Wayland shot only nine free throws, hitting seven, compared to Great Falls' 18-of-22 effort from the foul stripe.
The Flying Queens face their third consecutive ranked team when they host No. 7 Our Lady of the Lake of San Antonio at 2 p.m. Nov. 28. That's the final tune-up for Wayland prior to the start of Sooner Athletic Conference play in Siloam Springs, Ark., on Dec. 3.
