SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Wayland Baptist Flying Queens suffered their first loss of the 2026-27 season Friday afternoon, November 6, falling to St. Thomas University (Fla.) 64-55 in a neutral-site matchup hosted at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. The loss moves the Queens to 2-1 overall on the season.
Despite a game-high 28-point performance from Heaven Hayden and a strong second-quarter comeback, the Flying Queens were unable to overcome a slow start and late offensive struggles.
Wayland opened the contest with energy, jumping out to an early 6-2 advantage behind baskets from Tyanna Simpson and Hayden. However, St. Thomas responded with a 20-0 run to close the opening quarter, taking a commanding 22-6 lead into the second period.
The Flying Queens struggled offensively in the opening 10 minutes, connecting on just 3-of-16 field-goal attempts while being held scoreless for the final seven minutes of the quarter.
Wayland found its rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring the Bobcats 21-10 behind an impressive shooting performance. Hayden sparked the comeback with 12 points in the period, including three successful three-pointers.
A three-pointer from Hayden cut the deficit to 26-19 midway through the quarter, and the Flying Queens continued to battle back. Another three-pointer from Hayden brought the Queens within two points at 26-24 with just over four minutes remaining in the half.
St. Thomas answered with a late push, but the Queens entered halftime trailing just 32-27 after shooting an impressive 66.7% from the field and beyond the arc in the second quarter.
The Flying Queens carried their momentum into the third quarter, continuing to chip away at the St. Thomas advantage.
A three-pointer from Bella Dabbs brought the Queens within one point at 38-37 before Timotea Najbrtova converted a layup to give the Flying Queens their first lead since the opening quarter, 39-38, with just over five minutes remaining in the period.
However, St. Thomas responded with an offensive surge, reclaiming the lead and building a 51-44 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
Wayland continued to battle in the final period, with Hayden scoring nine of the team's 11 fourth-quarter points. A layup from Hayden cut the deficit to five points early in the quarter, but the Bobcats maintained control down the stretch.
St. Thomas extended its advantage to 60-50 with under five minutes remaining. A late three-pointer from Hayden cut the deficit to seven, but the Bobcats converted four free throws in the closing minutes to secure the 64-55 victory.
Hayden led all scorers with a season-high 28 points, shooting an efficient 10-of-15 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. She also collected four rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
Simpson finished with 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds, shooting 4-of-6 from the field while adding two assists.
Dabbs contributed six points on two three-pointers while pulling down six rebounds. Iliana Hernandez finished with four points and a team-high four assists, while Najbrtova added two points, four rebounds, two steals, and a blocked shot.
As a team, the Flying Queens shot 40% from the field (20-of-50) and 37.5% from three-point range (6-of-16). The Queens struggled at the free-throw line, converting just 9-of-19 attempts (47.4%).
St. Thomas finished the contest shooting 45.6% from the field and held a 40-28 advantage in points in the paint. The Bobcats also capitalized on Wayland's 16 turnovers.
St. Thomas was led by Isabella Rivera and Nuria Estrade, who scored 13 points apiece, while Ivet Calaza contributed 12 points off the bench.
The loss marks The Queens' first setback after opening the season with consecutive victories over Paul Quinn College and Huston-Tillotson University.
UP NEXT
The Flying Queens (2-1) will return to action on Monday, November 9, when they travel to Canyon, Texas, to face West Texas A&M University in a scheduled exhibition match. Tipoff is set for 11:00 a.m. Central Time at the First United Bank Center.
