Pioneers pinned with first loss by No. 25 OLLU, 114-97

Box Score Wayland Baptist was able to recover from Our Lady of the Lake University's 3-point barrage early in the game, but the 12^th-ranked Pioneers weren't as fortunate when the Saints went off again in the second half as WBU suffered its first loss of the season on Friday night to the 25^th-ranked team from San Antonio, 114-97.
 
Playing its season-opener in Hutcherson Center against the 4-0 Pioneers, OLLU used an 18-4 run midway through the second half to blow open a one-point game. The Saints did it in large part by drilling many of their 16 3-pointers, which included seven by Olajuwon Garner who ended with 23 points, a total matched by teammate Joe Jackson.
 
"We knew No. 10 was a shooter. There were a couple of times we lost him or had a hand down, but give him credit. He hit 7 out of 13," Wayland coach Ty Harrelson said. "We have to do a better job handling shooters."
 
Seven different Saints connected from long range.
 
Wayland drilled 10 3s of its own, including four by Robert Waters who had a team-best 21 points. In addition to 26 3s, the frantic-paced game also saw a combined 55 turnovers – 28 by the Pioneers and 27 by the Saints.
 
"We play a very similar style of basketball, and I thought they did a really good job," Harrelson said. "I feel like I'm responsible for how the game finished today. I didn't have us prepared and Our Lady of the Lake was really aggressive at the start of the game."
 
The Saints' bombing success began early, and with just seven minutes off the clock OLLU held a 26-13 lead.
 
From there, Wayland went on an 8-0 run to begin closing the gap, and before long the Pioneers had tied it up at 32-all. A break-away slam dunk by Maurice Redmond put the Pioneers ahead, 45-43, then the score was knotted again at intermission, 48-48.
 
"I thought the guys showed a lot of character to fight back and tie the game by halftime," Harrelson said. "After the first six minutes or so we started to execute our press break and get the kinds of shots we wanted. I was excited going into halftime."
 
The second half started somewhat similar to the first with the Saints heating up from 3-point range. Wayland was able to keep the Saints close, however, as the teams traded the lead for the first nine minutes after the break.
 
"Both halves we started a little bit slow, and again I take responsibility," Harrelson said. "We have to make sure our guys are focused from the start in what we need to execute."
Midway through the second half, OLLU started doing its 3-point thing again, and the Saints expanded a 75-74 lead to 93-70 on the strength of an 18-4 run.
 
Wayland never got the margin to single digits after that.
 
Besides Waters' 21 points, freshman Jordan Tolbert ended with 19 points, Marshall Nelson 14, Maurice Redmond 12 and Anietie Jack 10.
 
"I thought Jordan was very good," Harrelson said. "For a freshman, 19 points and five assists is fantastic."
 
The Pioneers were outrebounded 46-39, with Jackson pulling down 11 boards for the Saints to go with his 23 points.
 
WBU shot 20 more free throws than the Saints – 43-23 – but the Pioneers missed 16 of theirs, hitting just 63 percent. OLLU missed only seven in shooting 70 percent.
 
Harrelson pointed to his team's 19-to-28 assist-to-turnover ratio as a factor, and even though the Pioneers gave it away just eight times in the second half, "Unfortunately those eight all seemed like they came in a row," the coach said.
 
"We committed seven charges during the game. A lot of that is our style, but we have to do a better job of getting our bodies under control and still execute our game plan and offense."
 
The game's 211 points were the most scored in a Wayland game since the Pioneers lost to Northwood, 111-102, late in the 2014 season. Meanwhile, OLLU's 114 points were the most given up by Wayland since Oklahoma Baptist scored 122 during a 122-83 win late in the 1996-97 season.
 
Wayland (4-1) won't have long to stew about its first loss as the Pioneers head to Hobbs, N.M., to take on University of the Southwest at 8:30 p.m. CST Saturday. The Mustangs will be looking to avenge a 107-89 loss to WBU on Nov. 16 in Plainview.
 
"We need to come ready to play tomorrow," said Harrelson, pointing out the Mustangs will be in a similar position on Saturday as Wayland will be when the Pioneers travel to San Antonio for a rematch against OLLU on Dec. 17.
 
"We get the opportunity to play those guys in December," Harrelson said, "so that's something to look forward to on our schedule."