Box Score FORT WORTH – Wayland Baptist rallied from a 17-point hole but couldn't finish out Texas Wesleyan as the Pioneers fell to the No. 13 Rams in Sooner Athletic Conference play here Thursday night, 86-84.
Wayland (11-7, 3-4 SAC) trailed 36-19 with just under 9:00 left in the first half. The Pioneers cut it to two just before the half, then tied it on two occasions in the second half, the last time at 79 with 1:41 to go on a 3-pointer by
Robert Waters.
After the Rams (14-4, 5-2) made a pair of free throws, Waters missed a 3 before the Rams missed a field goal. Wayland also missed a tough field goal underneath by
Jordon Johnson, leading to Texas Wesleyan's Jerell Ellis hitting a pair of free throws to make it 83-79 with 23 ticks left.
Jordan Tolbert made a reverse lay-up to take it back to a two-point game, but the Rams' Doug Compton sank two foul shots on the other end to make it 85-81.
After a backcourt call against Wayland was overruled with 9.2 seconds left, Johnson's driving layup in traffic wouldn't fall. Texas Wesleyan's Dion Rogers hit another free throw before Waters made his half-court shot at the buzzer.
It was Wayland's fourth consecutive loss and Wesleyan's fourth win in a row.
Waters wound up with 32 points, his second-highest total of the season, and made 8-of-15 3s.
Maurice Redmond added 17 points,
Marshall Nelson 12 on 4-of-4 long-range shooting, and
Anietie Jack 10.
Five Texas Wesleyan players finished in double-figures, led by Sam Akano's 19.
Both teams shot just over 50 percent from the field, with Wayland making 13-of-23 3-pointers (57 percent) compared to 3-of-12 for Wesleyan. The Rams outscored the Pioneers at the foul line by eight, hitting 17-of-25 versus 9-of-11.
Wayland was credited with just 23 rebounds, five by Redmond, compared to 38 for Wesleyan. The Pioneers had 17 turnovers, one more than their opponent.
Tolbert had seven assists and Waters six for Wayland.
As has been the case recently, the Pioneers fell behind early, trailing 21-10. But as has also been the case, they also rallied.
Down by 17 midway through the first half, back-to-back 3s by Nelson got Wayland back on its feet. The Pioneers later went on a 14-3 run – powered by two more 3s by Nelson and a dunk by Jack – to trim a 16-point deficit to just five, 44-39. A 3 by Waters drew Wayland to within 46-44, then the Rams made a free throw to own a 47-44 advantage.
The game was tied three times in the second half, at 59, 61 and the last time at 79, but Wayland was never able to take a lead. After getting it knotted at 61, the Pioneers immediately fell behind again by nine before once again rallying, getting four points by Redmond then a bucket followed by a trey by Waters to make it 77-76.
The Pioneers play at 3 p.m. Saturday in Waxahachie against No. 16 Southwestern Assemblies of God University (14-5, 5-2), which lost on Thursday on the road to No. 9 Mid-America Christian, 98-88.
