PLAINVIEW, Texas – The Wayland Baptist Flying Queens opened their 2026-27 basketball season with a 71-62 victory over Paul Quinn College on Monday evening inside the Hutcherson Center. A strong first-half performance and balanced offensive production helped the Flying Queens begin their season with a 1-0 record.
Wayland wasted little time establishing control, opening the contest with a three-pointer from Tyanna Simpson and jumping out to a 7-0 lead. The Flying Queens maintained their advantage throughout the opening period, shooting 50% from the field while limiting Paul Quinn to just 20% shooting to take a 16-10 lead into the second quarter.
The Flying Queens continued to build momentum in the second period behind the offensive contributions of Iliana Hernandez and Simpson. Hernandez knocked down a three-pointer and converted a three-point play, while Simpson provided a strong presence inside. Wayland extended its lead to as many as 12 points midway through the quarter before Paul Quinn responded with a late push to trim the advantage. The Flying Queens entered halftime leading 35-27.
Wayland shot an impressive 50% from the field in the first half, connecting on 12-of-24 attempts while holding Paul Quinn to 30.8% shooting.
The Flying Queens maintained their defensive intensity coming out of halftime, holding Paul Quinn to just 13 points in the third quarter. Emme Easterwood provided a spark offensively, scoring six points in the period, while Bella Dabbs and Heaven Hayden helped Wayland maintain its advantage. The Flying Queens outscored Paul Quinn 16-13 in the quarter to take a 51-40 lead into the final 10 minutes.
Paul Quinn attempted to rally in the fourth quarter, using defensive pressure and opportunities at the free-throw line to cut Wayland's lead to seven points late in the contest. However, timely baskets from Hayden and clutch free-throw shooting from Hernandez and Dabbs helped the Flying Queens withstand the comeback attempt and secure the nine-point victory.
Hernandez led Wayland offensively with a team-high 15 points, shooting 4-of-7 from the field, including two three-pointers, while finishing a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Simpson followed with 13 points and six rebounds, connecting on four of her six field-goal attempts. Dabbs added 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds, including nine points from the charity stripe, while Hayden rounded out Wayland's double-digit scorers with 10 points and five rebounds.
Easterwood finished with eight points and five rebounds, while Shiliane Kent contributed seven points and four rebounds off the bench. Timotea Najbrtova also provided valuable minutes in the post, collecting six rebounds.
As a team, the Flying Queens shot 44.4% (20-of-45) from the field and 30% (3-of-10) from beyond the arc. Wayland also capitalized on opportunities at the free-throw line, connecting on 28-of-41 attempts.
Defensively, Wayland limited Paul Quinn to 30.6% shooting from the field and just 9.1% (2-of-22) from three-point range. The Flying Queens also held a 41-37 advantage on the boards.
Paul Quinn was led by Aiyana Sam, who finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. The Tigers outscored Wayland 22-20 in the final quarter, but the Flying Queens' early advantage proved too much to overcome.
Following the victory, Flying Queens Head Coach Jordan Vessels praised her team's resilience and ability to execute in crucial moments despite facing a challenging opponent.
"It was a battle, as we knew it would be. Paul Quinn is a good basketball team. I am proud of how our team stuck together in some tough moments. We had big-time plays down the stretch. Proud of our team tonight. We will go back to work and get ready for the next one," said Vessels.
Up Next:
The Flying Queens (1-0) will hit the road for their next matchup on Wednesday, November 4, when they travel to Austin, Texas, to face Huston-Tillotson University. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Central Time as Wayland looks to build on its season-opening victory.
