Box Score
Pioneers vs. LCU Gallery
For the first 35 minutes Tuesday night,
Matt Garnett couldn't have been more proud of his Wayland Baptist Pioneers. It was those last five minutes, however, that got them.
Lubbock Christian University went on a 16-4 late-game run to defeat Wayland in Sooner Athletic Conference play in Hutcherson Center, 80-70.
“For 35 minutes, I couldn't be more proud of our effort,” Garnett said. “We battled, we made plays, Lubbock made plays…I thought it was just a very good performance for 35 minutes.”
The game was tied at 64 with 4:41 remaining when the Chaparrals (15-12, 8-7 SAC) started their push. The run began with a pair of free throws by Tyler Kennedy after a technical foul on Wayland.
“We had a chance to take a lead there, and instead…,” Garnett said.
LCU then came up with steals on three straight Wayland possessions, including two thefts by Jabril Durham, to help the Chaps further extend their lead.
“When it comes down to that last 5 (minutes), Lubbock stepped up and made the plays and we weren't able to execute on either end,” Garnett said. “We had some turnovers and broke down defensively. I take responsibility for that. I have to do a better job of preparing them for that situation. That's winning time, and that falls on me.”
The final seven Chap points came at the free-throw line.
“It's poise,” Garnet said in reflecting on the final 4:41. “We have to learn from that. As I told them after the game, to play 35 minutes the way we did is great. Those 35 were very well played and we've got to build on those 35, but we also have to really hold ourselves accountable for the last five and fix that.”
Wayland's
Eric Milam scored 24 points, a season-high for the 6-foot-8 senior forward who made 10-of-14 field goals.
Reggie Fondren added 16 for the Pioneers (14-14, 5-10).
For LCU, Durham led the way offensively with 18 points, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, followed by AJ Luckey with 17, Jaron Vierra with 15 and Jamaal Crayton with 13.
Six different Chaps combined to hit 10-of-26 (39 percent) 3-pointers, compared to just 2-of-14 (14 percent) for the Pioneers. LCU also held a commanding edge at the foul line where the Chaps made 18-of-21 (86 percent) compared to just 6-of-12 for Wayland.
The Pioneers led by as many as nine points, 17-8, but LCU battled back and took a 35-29 lead with 1:23 left before halftime. The score was knotted at 35 at intermission.
Wayland's only second-half lead came when
Nikola Grbic converted a steal into a fast-break lay-up with 10½ minutes to go. That put the Pioneers up 54-53, then a jumper by Fondren made it a three-point Pioneer lead. But back-to-back 3s by Durham and Kennedy quickly put LCU back on top, and the Chaps never gave up the lead again.
It marked the 10
th straight win for LCU over the Pioneers. The Chaps, who are leaving the NAIA for NCAA Division II next season, defeated Wayland in the teams' SAC opener on Dec. 4 in Lubbock, 100-77.
The Pioneers end the regular-season at 3 p.m. Saturday at home against USAO (14-8, 7-7), which beat Wayland, 78-72, when the teams met Jan. 17 in Chickasha, Okla. USAO was ranked No. 23 at the time.
“I want to see them really respond,” Garnett said of his players. “We have to take it up a notch in our preparation, and I believe they will. We've got to try to build some momentum going into the tournament.”
The SAC Tournament, to be held at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, starts Feb. 27 with a play-in game between the No. 8 and 9 seeds. Currently, the Pioneers are in eighth place, 1½ games behind Oklahoma City, and would play No. 9 seed St. Gregory's (6-18, 0-14) in the play-in game. Wayland could still finish ahead of OCU as the No. 7 seed, avoiding a first-round matchup with third-ranked John Brown University.
“We won't know where we stand until all the scores come in Saturday,” Garnett said. “It goes back to trying to really prepare well and play as well as we can Saturday. That's the best formula to prepare yourself for success in the tournament, not so much your seed but how well you're playing.”
Saturday afternoon's game is part of Senior Day when Milam, Fondren and
Theo Hatcher will be recognized prior to tip-off.
“We want to play really well for them,” Garnett said. “We need to live up to the team we believe we can be Saturday and play really passionate and play really tough.”
