Pioneers back to winning ways in SAC debut

J.J. Culver scored 29 points and Josh Throns 17 to lead 20^th-ranked Wayland Baptist to a 95-88 win over Science and Arts of Oklahoma in the Sooner Athletic Conference opener Thursday night in Hutcherson Center.
 
Still smarting from their first two losses of the season, the Pioneers (6-2) opened league play with a solid win over a USAO team ranked the equivalent of 28^th in the NAIA. Wayland hit 16-of-31 3-pointers and led by as many as 24 points before fighting off a late surge by the Drovers (6-2).
 
"Our guys needed that win," Wayland coach Ty Harrelson said. "We dropped one at home, and we don't lose many at home, so it was important to get a win."
 
Eight days after a 71-65 home loss to Central Baptist (Ark.), the Pioneers came out refocused.
 
"Central Baptist exposed us in some ways, and we had a week to work on what we needed to work on," Harrelson said. "I thought the guys came back fresh from Thanksgiving break."
 
The Pioneers hit 12-of-18 (67 percent) of their 3s in the first half, earning fans free McDonald's French fries with their 10^th 3-pointer with 2½ minutes left before halftime, when Wayland led 54-44.
 
"The key to those shots was the way we moved the basketball. We worked on it all week after only scoring 65 points last week," Harrelson said. "I thought our guys played really well together. It was good to see them share the ball and move it around."
 
Seven different players hit 3s for Wayland, led by Culver who posted his 4-of-5 performance all in the first half when he had 20 points.
 
"J.J. was fantastic right from the start. He was very focused," Harrelson said. "I also thought he slowed (Cameron) Hines down a little bit, which was good because he was on pace for a 40-point night."
 
Hines paced USAO by hitting 6-of-11 3-pointers and finishing with 30 points. Geno Artison added 15 and Hutch Peterson 12 for the Drovers, who also shined from beyond the arc, swishing 15-of-34 (44 percent).
 
Wayland slowly built a 24-point lead, up 89-65 with 5½ minutes to play. The Drovers then scored 14 unanswered points and ultimately got to within seven, 91-84, with 1:17 to play.
 
That's when Throns scored after an offensive rebound, although Artison hit a 3 to make it a two-possession game, 93-87, with 18 seconds left. After a Wayland turnover, the Drovers missed a 3 but got it back after a missed Wayland free throw. A foul put the Drovers at the free-throw line where they made the first and got the ball after a missed second.
 
Culver sealed the win for Wayland when he blocked a 3-point try by Hines, was fouled then hit a pair of free throws with four seconds left.
 
"To do what J.J. did in 24 minutes…it's really good. In some ways it's what I expect out of him," Harrelson said. "If we don't get up by (24) he stays in (the game) for a few more minutes and gets some extra stats."
 
Culver's career scoring high of 36 came his freshman year, and he got a personal-best 13 rebounds last season.
 
Both Culver and Throns ended one rebound shy of double-doubles.
 
Harrelson said Throns came off the bench to play "one of the best games maybe in his career. He was ready to go tonight. I challenged Josh to crash the boards and he was going up and getting them tonight."
 
Harrelson, who pointed out that Wayland won every statistical category, applauded his subs.
 
"At one point we had five guys off the bench in the game and started making a bit of separation with our non-starters. We're a deep team, which makes my job tough finding minutes for everybody. But that's a good problem to have."
 
Trevonta Robertson added a dozen points for Wayland, including a thunderous breakaway dunk.
 
Wayland is back on the court at 4 p.m. Saturday against Mid-America Christian (5-2, 0-1), which opened SAC play Thursday night in Goodwell, Okla., with a 74-64 loss to Oklahoma-Panhandle State. The Evangels rank third in the NAIA in scoring, averaging more than 102 points.
 
"They play really fast," Harrelson said.