Box Score WAXAHACHIE – Wayland Baptist's 16-point second-half lead quickly evaporated, but the Pioneers stayed strong to hold off 14
th-ranked Mid-America Christian (Okla.) in the semifinals of the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament here Friday night, 92-87.
"It's a great win," Wayland coach
Ty Harrelson said. "I'm really proud of my guys. They showed lots of guts. We grinded it out and we got the 'W.'"
SAC Freshman of the Year
Jordan Tolbert scored a season-high 25 points to lead the sixth-seeded Pioneers (20-11), who next face fifth-seeded Science and Arts of Oklahoma in the championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday. The winner is guaranteed a spot at the NAIA National Championships in Kansas City.
It's the third straight season Wayland will appear in the conference tournament final.
USAO (17-11), which knocked off No. 8 Texas Wesleyan in its semifinal, 75-73, swept Wayland in the regular season, 110-98 and 98-92.
A night after eliminating No. 22 Oklahoma City, 75-71, Wayland took out MACU in a rematch of last year's tournament final, won by the Pioneers, 77-69, for WBU's first SAC championship.
Wayland, which split with MACU (23-9) during the regular-season, appeared to be on its way to another lopsided victory, leading 66-50 with 14½ minutes left.
But the Evangels came storming back over the next 5½ minutes, outscoring the Pioneers 20-4 to assume a 70-69 advantage.
Wayland trailed for the last time, 82-81, with just under four minutes to play. Tolbert put the Pioneers ahead with a bucket that kicked off a 7-0 run that included two foul shots by Tolbert and a bucket and free throw by
Robert Waters.
After a 3-pointer by MACU's Devonse Reed and two free throws by Jerrick Massenburge made it a 1-point game, 88-87, with under a minute left, Waters threw in a huge 3-pointer for the Pioneers. The NAIA's top 3-point shooter had made just one in six 3s before that and was held to what would have been a season-low eight points.
"He's clutch," Harrelson said of Waters. "In crunch time, with basically his season and his career on the line, he told me during the timeout he wanted the ball. So I drew up a play for him and he came through.
"If he's not a first-team all-American I don't know what one looks like."
MACU then missed a 3 with nine seconds left, and after WBU's
Jordon Johnson got the rebound and was fouled, the senior made the first of his two free throws with six ticks showing to put the game away.
Tolbert's 25 points, including 19 in the second half, eclipsed his previous career-best by four. He finished 9-of-15 from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, and had five rebounds and five assists. Junior
Maurice Redmond added 15 points,
Marshall Nelson 14 on 4-of-7 long-range shooting, Waters 11, and
Anietie Jack 10.
MACU was led by Byron Miller's 20 points. Malcom Mann and Chris Runnels added 15 apiece and Reed 14.
Just like the second half, Wayland also held a 16-point lead, 36-20, in the first half, but the Evangels rallied then, too, and closed to within 44-36 at intermission.
"MACU is a good basketball team that's very well coached and very athletic," Harrelson said.
Both teams shot just under 50 percent from the field, with Wayland hitting 11-of-24 (46 percent) from beyond the 3-point arc compared 6-of-25 (24 percent) for the Evangels. The Pioneers were 15-of-23 (65 percent) at the free-throw line; MACU 13-of-17 (77 percent).
WBU had 18 turnovers, three fewer than the Evangels who with 42 rebounds had three more than Wayland.
While he wants to win Saturday and earn the automatic berth to nationals, Harrelson feels the Pioneers should garner an at-large berth already.
"We had to punch our ticket today," he said. "We're the hottest team in the conference. If we're not in the national tournament I don't know what it takes.
"I sure am proud of our guys," the coach added. "Whatever happens tomorrow night, we'll leave it all on the court one way or another?."
