GREAT FALLS, Mont. --- The
(RV) Wayland Baptist Flying Queens struggled to find their offensive rhythm Friday afternoon, falling to Montana State–Northern, 67–41, at the McLaughlin Center.
The Queens (0–2) never quite got on track offensively, shooting just 23 percent from the field and 21 percent from beyond the arc, while the Skylights (1–1) used a hot hand from three-point range to take control early and pull away in the second half.
After trailing 14–7 at the end of the first quarter, Wayland couldn't gain traction before halftime, managing just nine points in the second period to fall behind 30–16 at the break. A strong third quarter from MSU–Northern—powered by a barrage of five made threes—broke the game open.
Freshman
Bella Dabbs led the Flying Queens with 10 points, connecting on three triples, while
Heaven Hayden and
Iliana Hernandez each chipped in six.
Brooklyn Birkenfeld added five points and a team-high six rebounds, and
Zalika Stevens contributed four points and six boards off the bench.
Wayland battled on the glass, finishing with 26 rebounds, including 20 on the defensive end, but turnovers (11) and cold shooting made it tough to sustain momentum. The Queens were more efficient at the free-throw line, converting 7-of-10 attempts, but couldn't overcome MSU–Northern's 50 percent clip from deep (9-of-18).
The Flying Queens will look to bounce back tomorrow evening when they take on the
(RV) University of Providence (Mont.) Argos at 5:00 PM MST in Great Falls, Montana.
