The Pioneers captured Wayland’s first-ever Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament championship – blowing out regular-season champ Mid-America Christian in the title game, 94-60 – and went on to the NAIA National Championships for the second straight season. Coach Matt Garnett’s team dropped an opening-round heart-breaker in Kansas City, falling to Evangel, Mo., 67-66 when, after review, it was ruled Bunja Yaboe’s tip-in came after the final buzzer. Wayland finished the season with a 27-6 record – the program’s most victories in 23 years -- and ranked 13th. Senior Royal Crouch, who ended his two-year WBU career just 46 points shy of 1,000, was named NAIA Second-Team All-American, only the eighth Pioneer to receive first-, second- or third-team all-American honors. He also was given the Roscoe Snyder Award as WBU’s top senior male athlete of the year. Point-guard Robert Waters was All-SAC Second Team and fellow junior Bunja Yaboe was the SAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-SAC Third Team.
