Box Score Jason Griffin scored a career high 27 points to help the Pioneers fight back from a 15-point first half deficit to nearly upset #21 Oklahoma Christian on Thursday. The final score was OC 71, Wayland 67.
Teddy Chambers added 20 points, and Tyrone Crawford contributed 10 and passed out a game-high five assists in the first game of a seven-game homestand for the Pioneers.
The WBU men were good on 65 percent of their shots in the opening period, including 6-of-8 from long distance, but the Eagles still held a ten point lead at the break.
OC had trouble hitting the basket in the second half, shooting just 38 percent from the field, while the Pioneers put in 52 percent. WBU lost the touch on its three-pointers during the final 20 minutes, however, hitting just three of its ten attempts.
Wayland held a 25-23 advantage on the boards and outscored the Eagles 24-22 in the paint, but OC converted 20 WBU turnovers into 30 points.
The Eagles showed why they are among the leaders in the conference in free throw shooting, making good on 13 of their 16 attempts from the charity stripe for 81.3 percent.
Jason Taylor, the reigning NAIA Player of the Week, scored 23 against the Pioneers, breaking his string of 30-point games at three.
WBU (11-7, 3-7) continues its home stand on Saturday afternoon with a contest against Northwestern Oklahoma State University, 80-73 overtime winners at Lubbock Christian on Thursday.
