Box Score Wayland Baptist scored 21 unanswered first-half points to run away from McMurry in men's non-conference basketball action on Monday night at Hutcherson Center, 91-61.
McMurry (2-1) took an 11-4 lead out of the gates, but unbeaten Wayland (5-0) went on a 12-2 run – kick-started by back-to-back 3-pointers by
Royal Crouch and
Plamen Hristov – to assume a 20-16 edge. McMurry led only once more the rest of the game at 22-20, and that's when Wayland staged its big run, with
Bunja Yaboe scoring eight of the Pioneers' 21 straight points.
"Our defensive energy and execution were really good for that stretch," Wayland coach
Matt Garnett said. "We've been really focused the last week on regaining and recreating our defensive identity. They put in a lot of work, and it was good to see them respond with some good stretches of defense."
The War Hawks never got closer than nine the rest of the game. When they did, the Pioneers scored five straight to end the first half and take a 50-36 intermission lead, then got four more to open the second half and double the margin to 18.
It was never close again.
"Our goal is to be very good on defense every possession. We took a step in the right direction tonight," said Garnett, who recruited a couple of the McMurry players when he coached therre prior to coming to Wayland four years ago.
Wayland's largest lead was 35 points, 91-56, with just over a minute left in the game.
Eleven players scored for WBU, led by Crouch, the Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Week, with 21, Hristov with 17 and Yaboe with 14.
Ta'Quan McDew added nine off the bench. The Pioneers shot 53 percent (35-of-66) from the field, including 11-of-28 (39 percent) from long range.
Yaboe and Crouch pulled down eight rebounds each as the Pioneers dominated the boards, 47-33. Yaboe also had six blocks.
"Bunja has to be the anchor of our defense. He has to play extremely hard all of the time, and I thought in stretches he did a very good job of that tonight," Garnett said.
With 13 assists, junior
Jordon Johnson came within two of breaking the school record. Johnson started for
Robert Waters, who was out with an injury.
"Jordon stepped in and played some quality minutes at the point guard spot," Garnett said. "He really got the ball moving well and got some guys good looks.
"I was proud of the guys. We live by the mentality 'next guy up,' whether it's foul trouble or injury, and I thought as a team they were ready to play tonight."
McMurry got 15 points from Alex Lewis and 10 from Aaron Gettys. Connor Robinson, who entered the game having scored 44 and 37 points in the War Hawks' first two games, was limited to just two points. Robinson sustained a head injury early in the game and played just seven minutes.
Wayland now leads the all-time series against McMurry, 56-31. The teams will meet again in Abilene on Jan. 3.
Garnett said War Hawks coach Clif Carroll "is doing a very good job as McMurry goes through a transition" from NCAA Division II to non-scholarship Division III. "Those are very tough kids that are very well coached. We know when we play them again that it's going to be a very good road test because they were a little shorthanded with Connor going out early."
The Pioneers have a quick turnaround as they face Dallas Christian at 3 p.m. Tuesday in the Hutch.
"Dallas Christian has its most talented team that I've seen in the last five years," Garnett said. "We'll have to be physically and mentally ready to do things right. They played Texas Wesleyan to a five-point game on the road. They're a talented team that we're going to have to be ready to compete after a short turnaround.
"It will be a good challenge for us."
Wayland, 5-0 for the first time four years, will be looking to get to 6-0 for the first time since 2008, when the Pioneers won their first seven.
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