PLAINVIEW --- The Wayland Baptist Flying Queens came up just short in a hard-fought battle against (RV) Mid-America Christian on Senior Day, falling 77–75 on Saturday afternoon at the Hutcherson Center in Plainview.
The Queens showed resilience and determination throughout the contest, rallying late and putting themselves in position to tie or win in the final seconds before the Evangels held on for the narrow victory.
Wayland Baptist trailed 24–20 after the opening quarter but responded with strong energy in the second period. Behind balanced scoring and solid perimeter shooting, the Queens matched MACU 18–18 in the quarter, heading into halftime down 42–38.
The third quarter proved to be a turning point, as MACU shot over 70 percent from the field and built its largest lead of the game. Wayland Baptist continued to battle, but the visitors extended their advantage to 68–56 entering the final period.
Refusing to fold, the Queens delivered an impressive fourth-quarter comeback. Wayland outscored MACU 19–9 in the final 10 minutes, fueled by defensive pressure and timely shooting.
Cania Mitchell sparked the rally with aggressive drives and clutch three-pointers, while
Jadyn Trusler and
Peyton North connected from beyond the arc to close the gap.
With under two minutes remaining, Wayland cut the deficit to one possession and had multiple opportunities in the closing moments.
Brooklyn Birkenfeld knocked down a free throw with three seconds left to make it a two-point game, but the final attempt fell short as time expired.
Mitchell led the Queens with a strong all-around performance, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds, and seven steals.
Zalika Stevens added 13 points and five rebounds, while Trusler chipped in 12 points and connected on four three-pointers. North provided a spark off the bench with 10 points, including three shots from long range.
Wayland Baptist shot 43.3 percent from the field and 46.4 percent from three-point range, matching Mid-America Christian's perimeter efficiency and staying within striking distance throughout the game.
With the loss, the Flying Queens finished the 2025-2026 regular season with a 12-15 overall record and 11-11 in Sooner Athletic Conference play. The Queens locked up the 7-seed in the upcoming 2026 SAC Women's Basketball Championships and will take on 2-seed (RV) MACU on Thursday, February 26
th. The game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 PM.
