Box Score NEW ORLEANS – Six players scored in double figures and Wayland Baptist ran away from 25
th-ranked Xavier University of Louisiana to impressively win its season-opener here Friday night, 83-68.
"I felt like we played a great game. I was really proud of our guys," Wayland coach
Ty Harrelson said. "Xavier has a really nice gym and had a good crowd for their second home game. It was a great atmosphere.
"We came out right from the start and I felt like they were prepared. They played a pretty solid game for most of it."
Xavier (1-1) scored the first bucket of the game, but the Pioneers notched the next nine points and never trailed again.
"We did a good job executing our offense and we were able to get a couple of steals and fast breaks," Harrelson said. "Our freshmen from Lubbock,
Russell Harrison and
J.J. Culver, both came in and had an immediate impact. J.J. came in and hit two 3s. They gave us some really big minutes right off the bat."
Wayland went up by 16 points, 29-13, on a 3-pointer by
Maurice Redmond at the 7-minute mark of the first half before the Gold Rush managed to cut it to eight at halftime, 36-28.
Xavier twice pulled to within six early in the second, but another 3 by Redmond got Wayland rolling again. The Pioneers went on an 18-6 run to expand their lead to 64-44 midway through the second half.
The outcome was never really in doubt after that, even though Xavier trimmed it to eight, 75-67, with just over a minute to play.
Julian Pesava connected for Wayland before
Marshall Nelson made a pair of free throws to ice it.
Joshua Throns made a bucket an ensuing two free throws after an intentional foul on Xavier with two seconds left to account for the 15-point margin of victory.
Harrison led the Pioneers with 15 points in just 18 minutes, followed by Redmond with 14,
Louis Timms with 13, Pesava with 12 and Nelson and Throns with 10 apiece.
Timms, who scored 11 of his points after intermission, was also good for 11 rebounds, six blocks and three steals in under 25 minutes.
"Louis was very good in the second half," Harrelson said. "It was a pretty efficient game for him."
Wayland outscored Xavier from 3-point range, 36-9, as the Pioneers hit on 12-of-25 from long range. Six different players connected. WBU shot 50 percent (30-of-60) overall from the field.
Nelson's five assists led the Pioneers, who had 22 as a team.
"We had some turnovers (20), so I'd like to reduce those. We do have some things we need to work on," Harrelson said.
Overall, though, the coach couldn't be happier with a season-opening win over a ranked opponent on the road.
"Xavier is a young team and they're going to be good," he said. "I also believe by the end of the season we'll be a top 25 team."
The Pioneers have a quick turn-around before their next game at 1 p.m. Saturday against another New Orleans teams, No. 12 Dillard University, which like Wayland qualified for the national tournament last season. Dillard won its season-opener over Mobile (Ala.) on Oct. 29, 90-73.
"We need to re-focus and get prepared for (Saturday's) game," Harrelson said.
