ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University's women's basketball team could not overcome Wayland Baptist University's height advantage, suffering a 83-61 loss at Kimbrell Arena. The War Hawks fell to 1-15 on the year, while the Flying Queens – who received votes in the most recent NAIA national poll – improved to 5-6 overall.
 
WBU flexed its inside muscle from the outset, scoring 40 points in the paint (compared to 10 for McM). McMurry was out-rebounded by 20 boards (55-35), with the Flying Queens putting in 18 second-chance points.
 
The War Hawks trailed at the half, 46-28, with WBU burying six three-pointers in the period. McM didn't help its cause in the early going, either, committing 13 (of its total of 19) turnovers in that opening stanza alone.
 
But McMurry came out of the halftime locker room and began to whittle away at the Flying Queens' advantage. Byn the 16:07 mark of the second half, McMurry had trimmed then 18-point deficit at the break to just 10 points, 48-38, after a jumper by Adijatu Disu.
 
WBU got it back up to 17 points, but another War Hawks' run cut it to 10 once again, 70-60, after a pair of Taylor Russell free throws with 4:48 left on the clock. But McMurry would get no closer, as Wayland Baptist out-scored McM 13-1 the rest of the way for the 83-61 final.
 
Newcomer Tayler Boroson and the senior Disu shared high-point honors for McM with 14 apiece. Boroson was 5-of-8 from the field, as well as 2-for-4 from both beyond the arc and from the free throw line.
 
Disu also had a pair of blocked shots.
 
Ashley Hesseltine added 12 points, thanks largely to a perfect 7-for-7 night from the charity stripe. Hesseltine had a game-high four steals and also gave off three assists. Haley Welch booked 10 points, along with three assists, as the fourth War Hawk in double-digit scoring.
 
Russell had eight points and out-dueled the taller Flying Queens on the glass, grabbing a game-leading 12 rebounds.