Box Score
CHICKASHA, Okla. – From start to finish, it was a wild and wacky week for the Wayland Baptist Pioneers.
After starting the week by being ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in five years, the Pioneers ended it by suffering their first back-to-back losses of the season as 24th-ranked Wayland lost an action-packed game on Saturday afternoon to Sooner Athletic Conference foe University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma, 82-81 in overtime.
"It came down to some things not going right for us," WBU coach Matt Garnett said. "The ball didn't bounce our way at times. We had some chances, but couldn't catch a break."
The Pioneers (12-4, 3-3 SAC), who led by as many as five points in their first overtime of the season, were still up by four, 81-77, with 54 seconds left.
"We really started out overtime well," Garnett said. "We just weren't able to completely put them away."
After USAO score to get within two, the Pioneers turned the ball over on a physical exchange near the free-throw line with under 10 seconds left. The Drovers (6-8, 3-4) pushed the ball up the floor where Jahseth Lloyd made a game-tying lay-up while being fouled by the Pioneers. With five ticks left, Lloyd hit the ensuing free throw to put USAO ahead by one.
The Pioneers called a pair of timeouts, the second after crossing midcourt. An inbounds pass was tipped out of bounds by USAO with 0.5 showing. After the clock started early when Wayland's first inbounds pass attempt from the corner bounced off the back of the rim, the Pioneers got a second chance. But USAO intercepted the next inbounds pass under the basket where Wayland was looking to get it to big man Juhreece Thompson, and the Pioneers were out of luck.
"We had two chances off of out-of-bounds plays. At that point you're hoping you can catch the ball and go up," said Garnett, adding that it got very physical under the basket. "We just weren't able to come up with it."
The coach called it "a difficult way to lose.
"I feel for our guys," he said. "They fought very hard."
While the overtime was wild, the end of regulation was almost as eventful.
Wayland, which trailed by as many as seven in the second half after falling behind by 10 in the first 20 minutes, took a 70-69 lead with 54 seconds left on a putback by Markus Monroe. After USAO scored to retake the lead with 26 seconds to go, Monroe found himself at the line again where this time he made 1-of-2 free throws to tie it at 71 with 20 seconds showing.
All appeared lost when Wayland fouled USAO's David Tucker Jr. on a 3-pointer, but after making his first two free throws with :03 showing, Tucker missed the third. Wayland rebounded and quickly called timeout.
The Pioneers were granted new life when Monroe was fouled, and with just two seconds left the senior hit both ends of a one-and-one to send the game into OT.
"The guys did a great job of executing at the end of regulation," Garnett said. "Markus stepping up and making those free throws was big time."
It was the second straight game in which things didn't work out at the end for Wayland, which on Thursday fell to Texas Wesleyan in Fort Worth, 75-71.
Monroe ended with 30 points, his third game in four outings with at least that many, and nine rebounds. He hit 11-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-4 three-pointers, and 5-of-7 free throws.
Bunja Yaboe, making his first start of the season, ended with 12 points and nine boards, while Juhreece Thompson added 10 points off the bench.
The Pioneers shot 50 percent (33-of-66) from the field and 29 percent (6-of-21) from long range. Both teams struggled from the foul stripe where WBU was just 9-of-17 (53 percent) and USAO 9-of-16 (56 percent.)
The Drovers, who led by three at halftime thanks to a tip-in at the buzzer, were led by Lloyd's 24 points and Kennis White's 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Wayland will try to end its mini-skid at 6 p.m. Monday at No. 11 St. Gregory's (13-2, 4-2), which hosted No. 2 Southwestern Assemblies of God (14-1, 7-0) later Saturday.
"I know our guys will be up for playing St. Gregory's. We'll view it as an opportunity," Garnett said.
The Pioneers are back in Hutcherson Center on Thursday against No. 2 SAGU.
Garnett said the Pioneers have to hang tough during their current rough stretch.
"We're being tested. Every season has a stretch where things may go against you, but good teams don't get lost in that storm; they weather it," he said. "We're going to get over the hump and win a big game, and when we do that it's going to get back to a good place.
"These guys are very committed," Garnett added. "We've only played six of our 20 (conference) games. We have a lot of basketball ahead of us, and we haven't played our best basketball yet."
