Fort Worth – Megan Nestor's 23 points and 16 rebounds leads the 12^th ranked Flying Queens to a tough road Sooner Athletic Conference win over the Rams of Texas Wesleyan University, 63-52.
 
Across the first seven minutes of play in tonight's game, neither team could gain an edge and take a two-possession lead until Texas Wesleyan jumped ahead 13-9 after a few missed shot attempts from the Queens. Junior Megan Nestor would make it a two-point game after scoring a layup, but the Rams would hit a spark and score the next six points to take a 19-11 lead with just over a minute left in the first.
 
The Queens would use a timeout to halt the Rams run, and the timeout paid off as junior Teodora Popovic knocked down back-to-back threes to make it 19-17, Texas Wesleyan. After the Rams knocked down a jumper on their final possession of the quarter, Kaitlyn Jerden answered back for the Queens with a three of her own right before the buzzer sounded to make it 21-20, Texas Wesleyan, at the end of the first quarter.
 
Flying Queens senior guard, Linda Brice, scored five of the first seven points for WBU to open the second quarter to even the score up at 27-27. Sophomore Peyton North pushed the Flying Queens lead to 34-29 after draining an open three off the feed from Emily Sigala.
 
Jerden would put the Queens up by seven with just over one minute remaining until the halftime break after knocking down an open jumper. Texas Wesleyan would close the final minute of the half with a 4-0 run to make it 37-34, Queens, at the halftime intermission.
 
Nestor continued her domination in the paint by scoring the first two buckets for the Queens on the interior, putting them in front, 39-34. Nestor would strike moments later by cleaning up the offensive glass for a tough putback, and-one layup that pushed the Queens lead to 42-36 midway through the third quarter.
 
The Rams refused to let the Queens pull away and scored the next four points to put themselves right back to within striking distance, 42-40. The Flying Queens would carry a 45-43 lead into the final quarter of play.
 
The Rams opened the final frame with a three that cut their deficit to just one point, but senior Kinga Stachowska knocked down a massive three-pointer to answer right back for the Queens and extend their lead back to four points, 50-46. A few minutes later, Nestor made her presence felt on the inside once again by grabbing another offensive board for a putback layup that put the Queens ahead, 55-48 midway through the fourth.
 
With four minutes remaining in the game, Jerden showed her experience by scoring four straight points for the Queens to extend their lead to 59-50, essentially placing the dagger in the Rams hopes. Nestor would cap off her strong performance with one more bucket on the inside to give the Queens a 63-50 lead with just over two minutes left in the game.
 
The Queens held on to defeat Texas Wesleyan, 63-52, to pick up a huge road Sooner Athletic Conference win.
 
Head Coach Jason Cooper was proud of how his team performed tonight. He said, "I was really proud of our effort and intensity. The girls really battled for everything out there tonight. It was a very hard-fought win against a very scrappy team."
 
Coach Cooper continued, "The thing that stands out the most in this game was our defense. I am very proud of our team effort on that end of the floor."
 
Nestor led the Queens tonight with 23 points on 9 of 14 shooting from the floor, 16 rebounds, and two steals. Jerden finished with 15 points, five rebounds, and a block. Brice added nine points, five rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Popovic totaled six points, six assists, three rebounds, and a steal in 16 minutes off the bench.
 
Coach Cooper highlighted some performances tonight saying, "Meg was dominant all the way around. The stats are great, obviously, but the way she fills the lane up on defense, the way she alters shots, and the way she communicates out there on the court is what makes her so special."
 
"Emily and Kaitlyn both did a great job against a really tough press. We had to lean on them a lot to get the press broke. I was proud of their effort," said Coach Cooper.
 
The 12^th ranked Flying Queens will return to the floor on Saturday, December 14^th when they take on the Drovers of the University of Science and Arts (Okla.) in Chickasha, Oklahoma. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 PM.