BETHANY, Okla. --- The Wayland Baptist Flying Queens showed resilience and determination on Saturday afternoon but came up short in a 60–51 road loss to Southwestern Christian in Sooner Athletic Conference action.
The Queens competed from start to finish and kept the game within reach throughout all four quarters, battling through multiple momentum swings in a tightly contested matchup.
Wayland opened the contest with strong energy on both ends of the floor.
Brooklyn Birkenfeld and
Cania Mitchell led the early offensive attack, while the Queens' defense forced turnovers and contested shots. Despite the strong start, Wayland trailed 15–12 after the first quarter.
In the second period, the Queens began to find their offensive rhythm. Mitchell and
Jadyn Trusler connected from beyond the arc, while Birkenfeld continued to score inside. Wayland outscored Southwestern Christian 19–17 in the quarter and went into halftime trailing by just one point, 32–31.
The third quarter marked one of Wayland's strongest stretches of the game.
Bella Dabbs provided a spark in the paint, and
Zalika Stevens knocked down key free throws as the Queens briefly took the lead. Wayland's defense held Southwestern Christian to just 11 points in the period, but the Eagles regained a slim advantage, heading into the fourth quarter up 43–41.
In the final quarter, Wayland continued to battle. Mitchell hit a clutch three-pointer, and Stevens added points at the line to keep the Queens within striking distance. Wayland cut the deficit to one point midway through the quarter, but late turnovers and free throws by Southwestern Christian allowed the home team to pull away in the closing minutes.
Birkenfeld paced the Queens with 15 points on efficient shooting, attacking the basket consistently throughout the game. Mitchell matched her with 15 points while also contributing five rebounds and four assists. Stevens added eight points and six rebounds, and Trusler finished with six points and five assists. Dabbs provided solid production off the bench with five points and four rebounds.
As a team, Wayland shot 36 percent from the field and recorded 34 rebounds, while generating 12 second-chance points. The Queens also converted nearly 77 percent from the free-throw line, keeping them competitive throughout the contest.
The Queens will take the floor again on Thursday, February 19
th, at 6:00 PM against the Science & Arts Drovers in their second-to-last home game of the regular season.
