PLAINVIEW, Texas – The Mid-America Christian women's basketball team gave a strong challenge to the third-ranked team in the NAIA on the road on Saturday, but the Evangels dropped their first game of the season in a 77-68 loss to Wayland Baptist inside the Hutcherson Center.
 
TOP PERFORMERS

• Ossyana Ozoani – 19 Points, 8-14 FG, 11 Reb, 5 Steals
• Lexi Hernandez – 15 Points, 6-14 FG, 3-6 3FG, 4 Reb, 3 Assists
• Anna Kash – 6 Points, 6 Assists

GAME SUMMARY

• First Quarter
  • Mid-America Christian clamped down defensively through the first few minutes, as a Sydney Wycoff layup and a pair of Presley Payahsape lay-ins gave the Evangels the 6-0 advantage with 7:41 to go.
  • The Flying Queens got their first score at the 7:12 mark on a Jenna Cooper three-point play, but the Evangels responded with Ossyana Ozoani scoring on a layup with 6:46 left to make it 8-3.
  • Wayland Baptist took its first lead of the game after Cooper and Angel Hayden each nailed a three-pointer, but MACU grabbed it right back on an Anna Kash triple to bring it to 11-9 with 5:23 on the clock.
  • WBU went on an 11-3 run over a three-and-a-half-minute stretch to take a 20-13 lead, but the Evangels were able to get three back on an Ozoani layup and a Wycoff free throw to bring it to 20-16 after one quarter of play.
• Second Quarter
  • After conceding the first bucket of the period, MACU got scores from Ozoani and Kyleigh Leverich to pull it to within two at 22-20 with 7:47 remaining.
  • The Flying Queens slowed down the Evangels run on a Hayden three, but MACU pulled it to one on a Payahsape jumper and an Ozoani layup with 6:30 left to make it 25-24.
  • Wayland Baptist went on another 11-3 streak during the last half of the second quarter to take its largest lead of the half at 36-27 with 38 seconds left.
  • The Evangels fought back to bring it to six on an Ozoani layup and a Hurst free throw, but the Flying Queens took an eight-point edge into the half after a full-court pass and Cooper lay-in to bring it to 38-30.
• Third Quarter
  • The Flying Queens carried their momentum into the second half as Wayland Baptist opened with a 14-6 run through the first 5:36 to hold its largest advantage of the game at 53-35.
  • Lexi Hernandez helped MACU to stem the tide by hitting a three on the following possession as a pair of Ozoani free throws 3:14 to go brought it back to 53-40 with 3:14 to go.
  • WBU's Kaylee Edgemon knocked down a long three to break up the MACU run, but the Evangels closed out strong by scoring the final six on a pair of Hernandez buckets and a Payahsape layup while holding the Flying Queens scoreless over the final 2:45 to close it to 56-46.
• Fourth Quarter
  • Wayland Baptist scored the first five to start off a Cooper jumper and a Hayden three, but the Evangels fought back with a 6-2 run as an Ozoani free throw made it 63-52 with 6:52 remaining.
  • The Flying Queens countered with four straight to extend their edge back to 15, but MACU swung back with eight unanswered off of threes from Payahsape and Anna Kash as well as an Ozoani lay-in to bring it to single digits at 67-60 with 4:06 left.
  • Both teams traded a pair of three-point scoring opportunities with Edgemon getting an and-one before Wycoff drained a three from the left wing. WBU's Jessica Medcalf pushed it back out to 10 with a three before Hernandez knocked down her third of the contest with 1:24 to go to close it to 73-66.
  • Unfortunately, Mid-America Christian was unable to pull it to any closer than seven the rest of the way as the Flying Queens held on for the 77-67 win.

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian struggled offensively, hitting just 27-for-71 (38 percent) from the field and 8-for-32 (25 percent) from three. Wayland Baptist on its end knocked down 29-of-62 (46.8 percent) and 8-for-23 (34.8 percent).
• The Flying Queens won the rebounding battle with a 46-37 edge while MACU was able to force more WBU turnovers with 18 while the Evangels committed only 14.
• Senior forward Ossyana Ozoani led MACU offensively and on the glass with her fourth double-double of the season, scoring 19 points on 8-of-14 from the floor and 11 rebounds. Ozoani was also a force on the defensive end, recording a season-high five steals.
• Lexi Hernandez poured in 15 points on 6-for-14 shooting and went 3-for-6 from three to go with four boards and three assists while Presley Payahsape rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points, four rebounds and two blocked shots.
• Anna Kash led the team with six assists to go with six points.
• With the loss, the Evangels had their eight-game win streak snapped while the Flying Queens improved to 8-0 on the season.

UP NEXT

• The Evangels will return to action after the Thanksgiving break as Mid-America Christian will host Texas Wesleyan in its final home game of 2021. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. inside the Gaulke Activity Center.