Box Score BETHANY, Okla. – Wayland Baptist rallied from 16 points down before the magic ran out in overtime as the Pioneers fell to Southwestern Christian in the first game of the second half of the Sooner Athletic Conference schedule here Saturday afternoon, 88-84.
Trailing 43-31 at halftime, Wayland (12-9, 4-6 SAC) opened the second half with a 3-pointer by
Marshall Nelson before the Eagles (10-9, 6-4) scored seven straight to take a 50-34 lead.
It took the Pioneers just 4½ minutes to trim the margin to only five, 55-50, on another 3 by Nelson. Down by seven with under eight minutes to go, Wayland got a 3-pointer from
Maurice Redmond and a bucket by
Jordon Johnson before a 3 by
Robert Waters gave the Pioneers their first lead, 67-66, since their first bucket of the game.
The Eagles didn't fold, though. Instead, they regrouped and went ahead 75-69 with 2½ minutes to play. SCU scored only two more points the rest of the way, though, as Wayland mounted another rally.
This one started with a 3-point play by Redmond.
Anietie Jack scored after an offensive rebound to cut Wayland's deficit to 77-75 with 47 seconds left. After an Eagle turnover, Wayland tied it on a basket by Johnson with 25 seconds left.
The Eagles put the ball in the hands of James Still for a final shot, but his 10-footer bounced out at the buzzer, forcing Wayland's first overtime of the season.
Redmond gave Wayland the edge out of the games, but the Eamgles scored the next seven points for an 84-79 lead. Waters connected on a 3-pointer at the 1:45 mark, then the teams traded missed free throws and field goals until Shawn Scott drained his only 3 of the game for the Eagles, putting them back up by five with 29 seconds showing.
Jack picked up another bucket after an offensive board, and Wayland called timeout with 16 seconds left. Ten seconds later the Pioneers fouled Shawn Scott, who missed his first free throw but made the second to ice it for the Eagles, who have won eight of their last 11 games.
The Pioneers struggled from the free-throw line, making just 6-of-19 (32 percent), although the Eagles weren't much better at 10-of-22 (45 percent).
Jack led Wayland with 18 points, his second-best output of the season, and a season-high 14 rebounds, his first double-double of the season. Redmond contributed 16 points and seven boards while Waters ended with 14 points and Nelson 11.
The Eagles got 24 points and 19 rebounds from Still. Gabi Laurent and Marvin White notched 17 points apiece while Mikel Parish got 14.
Wayland shot 44 percent (34-of-78) from the field, including 40 percent (10-of-25) from 3-point range. SCU countered with 52 percent (35-of-67) from the floor, including 50 percent (8-of-16) from distance.
The Pioneers held a slight edge in rebounds (42-40) and turnovers (14-17).
The good news for Wayland is the Pioneers play six of the remaining eight regular-season games at home, beginning with an 8 p.m. contest Thursday against Bacone (1-19, 0-9), a team WBU defeated on the road way back on Dec. 5, 114-69. The Pioneers then host another team they beat in the first half of conference, John Brown (78-76), at 3 p.m. Saturday.
