Box Score FORT WORTH – Wayland Baptist was hoping to find the same magic that helped the Pioneers knock off Texas Wesleyan by two points a month ago in Plainview.
Unfortunately for them, it wasn't in the cards again Saturday afternoon.
Texas Wesleyan outscored Wayland 10-2 to start the second half, and the No. 11 Rams went on to hand the Pioneers an 83-72 loss in Sooner Athletic Conference play.
Wayland (16-12, 8-8 SAC) was within six, 45-39, at halftime, but the conference-leading Rams' post-intermission push made it a 14-point game, 55-41. The Pioneers went the first 4½ minutes of the second half without scoring.
After that, the WBU never got within 10 points.
The Pioneers did rally in the closing minutes, closing an 18-point, 75-57 gap to 10, 79-69, behind five straight points from
Russell Harrison. But less than a minute remained at that point, and the clock ran out on WBU's comeback hopes.
The Pioneers started the game strong, even owning a 28-25 lead with under 8 minutes to go in the first half following a 3-pointer by
J.J. Culver. But the Rams responded with back-to-back-to-back 3s as part of an 11-0 run, putting Wesleyan ahead for good.
After going up by as many as nine, the Rams led it at the break, 45-39.
The Pioneers shot 38 percent from the field (24-of-63), compared to Wesleyan's 53 percent (26-of-49). Wayland launched 35 3-pointers, making 11 (31 percent).
Three Pioneers reached double figures, led by senior guard
Maurice Redmond with 21 points. Freshmen Harrison and
J.J. Culver joined him with 15 and 13, respectively. Russell also had seven rebounds, an area where Wayland was outdone, 37-31. The Pioneers ended with 17 turnovers, one more than the Rams.
The Pioneers are back in Hutcherson Center next week to finish out regular-season play. Before Senior Day Saturday afternoon against USAO, Wayland hosts Southwestern Christian (18-10, 10-6) at 8 p.m. Thursday. The Eagles, ranked the equivalent of 29
th, defeated Bacone at home on Saturday, 92-85.
The Pioneers and Southwestern Christian met in the SAC opener back on Dec. 1 in Bethany, Okla., with Wayland winning, 88-84.
