Box Score
OKLAHOMA CITY – Mid-America Christian had one player score 40 points, but Wayland Baptist put up 101 as a team.
"Team" wins.
Five Pioneers scored in double figures as Wayland overcame the impressive 40-point performance by 5-foot-5 guard Semar Farris to knock off No. 14 MACU in Sooner Athletic Conference action here Thursday night, 101-96.
"Any time you can get a road win in the league it's going to be earned, and then to knock off a team as good as Mid-America is in their gym," Wayland coach Matt Garnett said with relief. "I'm very proud of our guys for being able to stay the course and find a way to get the win."
It was the second victory of the season for Wayland (16-6, 7-5) over the Evangels (14-5, 10-3). The Pioneers also won in Plainview in the first half of SAC play, 81-79. In that game, Wayland's Travis Payton made an acrobatic lay-up with four seconds left, and Farris missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Thursday's rematch wasn't quite that close, but it was just as entertaining.
"It was two good teams battling it out," Garnett said. "I'm proud of our guys' resiliency."
The Pioneers led by nine at halftime, 47-38, and expanded their lead to as many as 19 points, 74-55, with 11 minutes left in the game.
"We really played with an attack mentality," Garnett said. "Our guys didn't settle offensively. They did a good job of moving the ball. When we do that it creates rhythm, and that makes us a lot harder to guard."
The Evangels, though, wouldn't go away.
With Farris doing most of the firing, MACU nailed six straight 3-pointers over a 3-1/2 minute span, and just like that the Evangels were within seven, 80-73, with 7:14 left.
"Semar is quite a player," Garnett said. "He had a second-half performance as good as you're ever going to see."
After yet another 3-pointer with just under three minutes to go, MACU was within four, 94-90.
"A team as good as Mid-America, you know they're going to make a run at you," Garnett said. "You just have to try to take it possession by possession."
The Pioneers never panicked.
"We never lost our poise," Garnett said. "There was some real leadership from within. The guys just kept playing every possession, even when it wasn't going our way."
Barry Johnson and Markus Monroe hit buckets for Wayland, and Juhreece Thompson and Johnson sank free throws in the final minute to keep the Evangels at an arm's length. MACU's 14th 3-pointer of the game at the buzzer accounted for the final margin.
Garnett singled out Payton and Thompson for helping hold the Pioneers together.
"Both those seniors really stepped up. We had a lot of guys play well, but those two in particular. Travis, in the second half, played with a lot of confidence, and Juhreece did a great job rebounding, especially late."
In addition to his 21 points, Monroe had a team-high nine rebounds and five assists. Johnson ended with 19 points and Payton 18, while Royal Crouch tacked on 16 points and Bunja Yaboe 11. Thompson finished with nine and Plamen Hristov seven to round out the scoring for WBU.
"That scoring balance is indicative of how we're playing," Garnett said. "Tonight, everybody was on the attack, not standing around."
MACU's Farris made 9-of-14 3-pointers toward his 40 points. As a team the Evangels made 14-of-35 treys (40 percent), compared to Wayland's 8-of-18 (44 percent). The Pioneers shot 53 percent (32-of-60) from the field overall and 66 percent (29-of-44) from the free-throw line.
"We made enough of them," Garnett said.
MACU was 12-of-19 (63 percent) from the charity stripe.
Wayland held a 50-44 rebounding edge and committed 16 turnovers compared to only eight for the Evangels.
The Pioneers next play in Shawnee at 3 p.m. Saturday against Oklahoma Baptist (11-11, 5-7). The Bison last played Tuesday at MACU and lost, 71-68. In the first half of conference play, Wayland downed OBU in Plainview, 81-68, but Garnett said the Pioneers expect a hard-fought game on Saturday.
"They've gone through some difficult injuries as a team, but Coach (Doug) Tolin has them playing really well. They will be a very difficult test for us on Saturday. Our guys are excited to have won tonight, but you can already see their focus. We know how good OBU is, and they always play well at home."
