Box Score
Matt Garnett couldn't have been happier with how his team responded to its first setback of the season in its final game before the start of conference play.
"If you look at any really good team, they usually respond very well to losses," Garnett said after the Wayland Baptist Pioneers rolled to a 100-44 victory over Ecclesia College (Ark.) on Saturday afternoon in Hutcherson Center.
Coming off a tough 84-82 setback on the road Monday against West Texas A&M, Wayland (5-1) led 45-21 at halftime against the Royals (3-8), a National Christian College Athletic Association team that never threatened the Pioneers after the first few minutes of the game.
Up 15-8, Wayland scored 15 unanswered points to expand that seven-point lead to 22 points, 30-8, with just over seven minutes left in the first half.
"Everybody played really hard," Garnett said. "Late in the game, some of those guys in there getting some experience defended really well. I was pleased to see the growth of some of our young guys defensively."
A dozen players scored for Wayland, including
Plamen Hristov with 16 points,
Barry Johnson with 14 and
Maurice Redmond with 11.
The Pioneers shot 57 percent (36-of-63) from the field, including 64 percent (14-of-22) from 3-point range. Wayland made 14-of-19 free throws (74 percent).
"I thought we really had a good week of practice, really got after each other, and that showed today," Garnett said.
Ecclesia, which fell to Lubbock Christian on Friday night, 108-69, shot 34 percent (18-of-53) overall and 29 percent (4-of-14) from long range. Wayland outscored the Royals 14-4 at the free-throw line as the Pioneers committed just nine fouls.
"This has been a hard road trip for Ecclesia, but Coach (T.K.) Smith is really doing some great things," Garnett said. "I'm impressed with his plan."
The 59-point victory was Wayland's fourth blowout win of the season, four points shy of a 63-point, 117-54 shellacking of Barclay College in the season-opener.
Garnett pointed to Wayland's 22 assists on 36 field goals, versus just 12 turnovers. Ecclesia, meanwhile, turned it over 28 times.
"The last two games we've really done a better job of taking care of the basketball," he said, adding of the Pioneers' field goal-to-assist ratio, "I think that's a good sign our guys are unselfish."
Travis Payton had nine assists for Wayland, which next heads to Siloam Springs, Ark., to open Sooner Athletic Conference play against 14
th-ranked, undefeated John Brown University (9-0) at 8 p.m. Thursday.
"It's going to take an effort of being as good as we possibly can be Thursday night," Garnett said.
As SAC play nears, the coach admitted that he can be "very hard" on his team.
"I try to push them to improve each day, and I think they understand the big picture. It's sometimes hard to see during practice, but the big picture is trying to be ready to play on Thursday night. If you can be really honest with yourself as a team, then day-by-day you can get better. They've honored that process, and I think they're excited to get on the road and go play.
"If this team will give 20 great efforts (during SAC play), I think we'll be in a really great place," Garnett said, adding that the Pioneers won't do anything special in their preparation for the start of conference play next week.
"It's going to take a great week to prepare for a very good team on Thursday night," he said. "The plan next week is to take it day-by-day…just go chop wood, carry water."
