Pioneers take down No. 20 USAO by 22

Box Score   Ruben Lopez scored 15 points to lead six players in double figures as 21^st-ranked Wayland Baptist rolled to a 96-74 Sooner Athletic Conference victory over No. 20 Science and Arts of Oklahoma on Thursday night in Hutcherson Center.
 
"This is a great win for us. USAO is a very good, experienced basketball team," said Wayland coach Ty Harrelson. "You want to protect your home court."
 
They did it, in large part, by shooting 74 percent from 3-point range.
 
"When you hit 14-of-19 out there you have a pretty good chance of winning the game," Harrelson said.
 
Wayland (11-3, 4-2 SAC) led by just six, 66-60, with 12:17 left in the game, but the Pioneers rolled off 14 straight points over the next four minutes to seize control. Five different players scored during WBU's game-changing run.
 
"We finally starting getting stops about the 14-minute mark of the second half," Harrelson said. "J.J. Culver came in in that second half with a lot of energy and made several plays in a row and we slowly built a lead."
 
The coach praised Culver, a starter who for the past two games came off the bench.
 
"J.J. gave up his starting position role for the betterment of the team, but he still made a huge impact," Harrelson said. "It's the same with Trevonta Robertson. Both of them did a good job tonight."
WBU went up by as many as 25 points as the Pioneers remained perfect at home this season in six games.
 
Lopez, Josh Throns, Tyrone Davis and Robertson combined to go 12-of-13 from long range as Throns hit all four of his 3s, Lopez all three of his, Davis three of his four, and Robertson both of his. Tre Fillmore was 1-for-1.
 
"Those guys were really hitting their shots," Harrelson said. "Tyrone had a couple of timely 3s in there."
 
In addition to the 15 points by Lopez, who also had nine assists and just one turnover, Robertson and Samuel Kalwanyi finished with 13 points apiece while Throns, Davis and J.J. Culvert got a dozen each. Culver also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
 
"Ruben Lopez was probably the best player on the court today," Harrelson said. "He guarded their leading scorer, Brandon Scott (19.8 ppg), and did a good job shutting him down (15 points). Then Ruben turns around and has 15 points, nine assists and just one turnover."
 
Harrelson added that he was happy with the Pioneers' inside game, which has been boosted this semester with the addition of 6-foot-7 Kalwanyi and 6-8 Kraig Shields.
 
"We had a really good inside presence. We finally got Sammy healthy, Rokas (Mazionis) has been solid all season, and Kraig came in and made several plays. He changes a lot of shots with his length. Plus, Marko (Zelic) is just now getting his fitness back.
 
"That's a really deep interior, and I think it helped to open things up on the outside."
 
Overall, Wayland hit 31-of-49 (57 percent) from the field, more than twice USAO's 31 percent (22-of-70). The Drovers, who made 10-of-35 (29 percent) from 3-point territory, were led by Julius Foster's 26 points and seven rebounds.
 
"Foster is a fantastic player," Harrelson said.
 
The Pioneers made just 20-of-37 free throws (54 percent), yet still managed to beat the No. 20 team by 22 points. Wayland outrebounded the Drovers, 42-36, and had 15 turnovers, three more than the visitors.
 
Wayland collected eight blocks by six different players.
 
The Pioneers continue a three-game home-stand at 3 p.m. Saturday against No. 12 Mid-America Christian (10-4, 4-2), which was knocked off on the road Thursday by Panhandle State, 85-80. It was the Evangels' second straight on-court loss (not counting a forfeit win over St. Gregory's), having fallen to Southwestern Christian last week, 72-66.
 
"It's tough to go on the road and win in our conference," Harrelson said of MACU's loss to Panhandle State, as well as Southwestern Christian's 82-71 road setback to next-to-last place Central Christian.
 
The Pioneers are tied atop the SAC standings with MACU and John Brown, a half-game ahead of Southwestern Christian and defending national champion Texas Wesleyan and a game ahead of four other teams. Nine of the league's 11 teams are within a game of each other.