Box Score AUSTIN – Five Pioneers scored in double figures and Wayland Baptist rallied from behind to post a 102-92 victory over Huston-Tillotson here Friday.
The win improved Wayland to 7-0, the best start for the program since 2008-09. The Pioneers are just two wins away from matching the best start in program history, 9-0 during the 1985-86 and 2004-05 seasons.
After being held scoreless for just the second time in his career as a Pioneer, sophomore J.J. Culver scored 25 points plus pulled down eight rebounds and dished out five assists. Trevonta Robertson added 19 points and Rokas Mazionis ended with 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting with 10 rebounds.
Ruben Lopez dished out nine assists to go with his 14 points, while Josh Throns put in 11 points and Tyrone Davis eight.
Wayland trailed 44-41 at the half but outscored HTU 61-48 in the second half. The Pioneers shot 65 percent (20-of-31) from the field in the final 20 minutes, including 5-of-8 3-pointers (63 percent).
The Pioneers hit 24-of-36 free throws (67 percent) while the Rams were 11-of-18 (62 percent).
Ray Edwards led Huston-Tillotson with 25 points and 13 rebounds.
Huston-Tillotson, a member of the Red River Conference, slipped to 0-3, having also lost to top-ranked, defending national champion Texas Wesleyan, 94-79, and to Xavier, La., 82-68.
Wayland heads to San Antonio to take on Our Lady of the Lake at 3 p.m. Saturday. WBU defeated the Saints, ranked the equivalent of 30th in the NAIA, on Nov. 13 in Plainview, 103-85.
