PLAINVIEW --- In one of the grittiest performances of the season, the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens erased a 15-point first-quarter deficit and stormed back to defeat Texas Wesleyan, 58–55, on Saturday afternoon inside Hutcherson Center.
Wayland Baptist (3–6, 3–2 SAC) overcame a nightmare start—falling behind 20–5 in the opening period—and outscored the Lady Rams 50–35 the rest of the way. The Flying Queens used resilience, defensive persistence, and major second-half contributions from up and down the roster to secure their third conference win.
Texas Wesleyan came out red-hot, shooting 57 percent in the first quarter and riding 16 early points from Peyton Foster. Wayland, meanwhile, struggled to find rhythm, starting just 3-of-15 from the field and trailing 20–8 after one.
But instead of folding, the Flying Queens regrouped—and responded.
Wayland's defense tightened dramatically in the second quarter, holding TWU to just 5-of-12 shooting while the offense began to come alive behind Nala Richardson, Jenae Moore, and
Bella Dabbs, who drilled a pair of threes to help fuel the comeback. The Flying Queens trimmed the deficit to 35–25 at halftime.
The momentum swung fully in Wayland's favor during a dominant third quarter.
The Flying Queens outscored Texas Wesleyan 17–9 in the period, highlighted by
Cania Mitchell's relentless scoring inside and
Bella Dabbs' timely perimeter shooting. A
Jadyn Trusler three-pointer tied the game at 37 before Wayland trailed again at the 5:40 mark on a pair of free throws from Kameryn Phillips.
Texas Wesleyan entered the fourth holding a narrow 44–42 advantage—but the Queens had the confidence necessary to understand this game was far from over.
The fourth quarter delivered playoff-level drama as the teams traded buckets and the lead multiple times.
After trailing 55–54 lead with under a minute to play, Wayland turned to its defense—and then its playmakers.
After Texas Wesleyan briefly went ahead 56–55, the Flying Queens wasted no time responding. With just four seconds left,
Cania Mitchell powered through the lane for the game-winning layup, giving Wayland a 58–55 advantage.
A final defensive stand sealed the victory and completed Wayland's remarkable comeback.
Stat Leaders
Wayland Baptist
Wayland outrebounded the Lady Rams 42–35, including 17 offensive boards, and scored 16 points off turnovers in the win.
After recovering from a rough start and showcasing resilience for a full 40 minutes, the Flying Queens delivered one of their most impressive performances of the season.
With the tough victory, Wayland improves to 3–2 in SAC play and gains valuable momentum as conference action continues.
The Flying Queens will next take on #11 Langston in Langston, Oklahoma on Thursday, December11th at 6:00 PM.
