Box Score Edmond, Okla.---The Pioneers of Wayland Baptist hung tough in a 70-59 loss against Oklahoma Christian University on the road Saturday afternoon.
Jon Hurt led the Pioneers with 19 points. The senior from Mason, Okla. who hit five-of-ten treys, played all 40 minutes of the contest. Freshman Bobby Watkins added 13 points and Teddy Chambers contributed 12.
The Eagles, 18-8 overall and 11-7 in conference play, led from start to finish, but not without a battle from the WBU men. OC jumped on top early, but the Pioneers came back and tied the game with just under 13 minutes left in the first half.
OC responded with six unanswered points to jump back out, 23-17, and took a 34-28 lead into the lockerroom at the intermission.
Wayland kept the Eagle's Jason Taylor, the SAC's leading scorer in check during the first half, but the senior from Edmond took over at the 12 minute mark of the second period, scoring ten straight.
The Pioneer came back, though, cutting the lead to one on four occasions down the stretch. A long three-pointer by OC's Jeff Crocker as the shot clock buzzer sounded with just over a minute left gave the Eagles some needed breathing room, making it a 65-59 game.
Statistically, the game was just about even. Both teams made 25 field goals, including seven three-pointers, but the WBU men had just three attempts from the charity stripe compared to Oklahoma Christian, which went to the foul line 17 times. The Pioneers made two of their three attempts, while the Eagles were good on 13 of their 17 chances.
The going doesn't get any easier of the Pioneers, who fell to 14-12 on the season and 6-12 in the SAC. On Thursday, WBU hosts fourth-ranked Oklahoma Baptist University, winners of 18 straight games.
