Waters leads six in double figures in Pioneers' 107-89 win

Box Score Robert Waters led six players in double-figures by scoring 26 points to go along with his 11 rebounds and seven assists as the 12^th-ranked Wayland Baptist Pioneers ran their record to 4-0 with a convincing 107-89 win over University of the Southwest (N.M.) on Monday night in Hutcherson Center.
 
"Our offensive execution was really good tonight. The guys are making some plays," Wayland coach Ty Harrelson said.
 
Marshall Nelson pumped in 16 points and Anietie Jack, seeing his first action of the season, scored 14 points for the 4-0 Pioneers. Cody Thomas contributed 13 points and came up one rebound short of a double-double, while Jordan Tolbert tacked on 12 points and Maurice Redmond 11. A seventh player, Jordon Johnson, just missed double digits with nine points.
 
USW (3-3) led on four occasions, but never by more than a point. The last time was at 26-25 when Nelson hit a 3-pointer with just under seven minutes left in the first half to give Wayland the lead for good.
 
The Pioneers opened up as much as a 10-point edge, but the Mustangs kept fighting back.
 
"The pace of the game was where we wanted it," Harrelson said. "They shot the ball well. We kept trying to pull away but they kept hitting the 3 to keep themselves in the game."
That trend continued in the second half until Wayland, which led 51-43 at the half, finally was able to break loose.
 
Holding a 73-68 lead, Tolbert scored back-to-back buckets and Johnson added a bucket to stretch the lead to 11. The Mustangs never got within eight after that, with Wayland gradually pulling away.
 
"The key was we outrebounded them by 19 in the second half," Harrelson noted. "We did a better job of blocking out and securing the ball once we got it. Then were were able to kick it out and go on our breaks."
Waters scored 21 of his 26 points after halftime.
 
"For somebody to score like that and have 11 rebounds and seven assists is a pretty fantastic game," Harrelson said.
 
It marked the fourth time in four games that Wayland scored at least 107 points.
 
"It was good ti see Jordan Tolbert on the floor today. He can really change the pace of play," Harrelson said. "And Cody Thomas was really good today. He's been working very hard at taking his time around the basket and going up strong for layups. Here's a guy who was  a J.V. player last year who's starting for us now. It's just a joy to coach him."
The Pioneers shot 53 percent from the field (42-of-79), including 43 percent (9-of-21) from 3-ponit range where Waters was 5-of-9. USW shot 41 percent from the floor (31-of-75) and 39 percent (12-of-31) from long range.
 
WBU held a commanding 55-34 edge on the boards, and the Pioneers recorded 18 assists against 14 turnovers.
 
"If we can keep reducing the turnovers…," Harrelson said. "We shoot the ball pretty well, so I'd rather us take a bad shot than have a bad turnover."
 
The Pioneers outscored the Mustangs 24-6 on fast-break points and had shut out USW in that department until late in the contest.
"(Lubbock Christian) got a couple of breakaways on us (during a Nov. 9 exhibition), so our focus was to get back on defense," Harrelson said. "If we're sprinting the court both ways we're pretty tough."
The Mustangs were led by Darius Revels' 19 points.
 
Wayland is back in action at 6 p.m. Friday at home against No. 25 Our Lady of the Lake. The Saints have played only one official game thus far, falling to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 94-72.
 
"Their coach has a similar philosophy in that he likes to get the ball up and down the floor," Harrelson said. "It should be an exciting game."