Queens to face Mount Vernon Nazarene

The Wayland Baptist Flying Queens will face Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) on Saturday in Louisiana for the right to advance to Sioux City, Iowa, as part of the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championships, presented by Ballogy.

The second-ranked Flying Queens (13-0) – riding a 40-game winning streak dating back to 2019 – and Mount Vernon Nazarene (15-11) tip off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in Alexandra, La. The winner advances as one of 16 teams to the national tournament final site March 18-23 in Sioux City.
 

Wayland is seeded fourth in the 48-team field and first in its three-team opening pod that also includes Mt. Vernon Nazarene and LSU-Shreveport. While the Queens received a bye in the first round of its bracket in Alexandria, Mt. Vernon Nazarene and LSU-Shreveport faced off Friday night with the Lady Cougars prevailing, 73-58.

Leading Mount Vernon Nazarene with 18 points, 11 rebounds and four assists was Taylor Gregory, a 6-foot-2 senior guard/forward from Mount Vernon. Rylee Pireu, a sophomore guard, hit five of her team's eight 3-pointers and ended with 17 points, while another sophomore guard, Maggie Coe, tacked on 16 points, five rebounds and five assists. Senior guard Elizabeth Fee gave the Lady Cougars a fourth player in double figures with 11 points. Sage Brannon came off the bench for nine points.

Mount Vernon Nazarene ranks second in the NAIA in free-throw percentage, hitting just over 80 percent on the season.

Friday's win was the first-ever national tournament victory for Mount Vernon Nazarene, the 35^th overall seed which improved to 16-11 on the season. LSU-Shreveport, seeded 31^st overall, saw its season end at 16-2.

Saturday's game will be the first-ever meeting between the Flying Queens and Mt. Vernon Nazarene, which is making its second appearance in the national tournament. Wayland, meanwhile, is making its 28^th appearance in the national tourney.

The Flying Queens qualified for nationals for the eighth straight year under head coach Alesha Ellis, whose teams have never failed to make the tournament field. Wayland earned an automatic bid as the Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season co-champion and tournament champion.

The SAC's two other national tournament qualifiers, Langston and Mid-America Christian, both lost their opening games Friday. Langston lost to Loyola (La.), 71-64, while MACU bowed to Columbia (Mo.), 85-83.