The 20th-ranked Wayland Baptist University Flying Queens women’s basketball team got their Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) Championship campaign off to a flying start on Thursday, beating John Brown University 92-75, with Saint Lucia’s Megan Nestor hitting a near career high in scoring.
Nestor combined with Kaitlyn Jerden for 61 combined points to propel them over the Golden Eagles in the opening round. With 30 points on 11-18 from the field, and a season-high 8-15 from the free throw line, the athletic big from the village of Canaries hit that landmark for the third time this season. She added nine rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Jerden finished the night with 31 points. She and Nestor completely dominated the third quarter. The duo combined for 18 of the Queens’ 24 points in the frame. Midway through the third, Jerden found Nestor down low for a tough and-one that put the Queens ahead 54-40.
Jerden then put the Queens up 66-49 with just over a minute left in the quarter after knocking down her fourth and fifth three-pointers of the night. The Golden Eagles would once again score a basket just before time expired, giving the Queens a 67-51 lead heading into the final period.
Nestor continued her takeover to begin the fourth as she scored the Queens’ first 10 points of the frame to push their lead up to 77-57 – their largest lead of the game.
The Flying Queens will now travel to Langston, Oklahoma, for their semifinal matchup against the Evangels of Mid-America Christian University. The match is scheduled for Monday and will be played on the campus of Langston University.
The winner will advance to the SAC Women’s Basketball Championship game on Tuesday.
