Pioneers enjoy 'lopsided' win over OPSU

Box Score
GOODWELL, Okla. – A three-road-game week started out on the right foot for the Wayland Baptist Pioneers, who on Monday night secured an 84-72 Sooner Athletic Conference victory over Oklahoma-Panhandle State.

"OPSU can be tough when they are at full strength, which they were tonight. We are glad to get a road win to start the week," WBU coach Ty Harrelson said.
 
The "lopsided" win was a welcome break for the Pioneers as the 12-point margin of victory was one more than their last five conference games combined.
 
Wayland (18-7, 10-6 SAC) never trailed against the Aggies (11-13, 4-12) as the Pioneers won their third straight behind the 6-of-7 3-point shooting of Josh Throns, who ended with 20 points. Ruben Lopez added 17 points, six assists and no turnovers, and Samuel Kalwanyi 14 points and 14 rebounds, his fifth double-double since joining the team 13 games ago.

"Josh and Ruben were locked in from outside. At different times all of our bigs made plays.  I thought Sammy really dominated down the stretch for us," Harrelson said.
 
The Pioneers, who defeated OPSU in Plainview a month ago, 94-74, scored the first seven points of the game and never gave up the lead. They led at halftime, 42-30.
 
A bucket by Lopez to start the second half made it a 14-point game, and a 3 by Throns put Wayland up by 16, 51-35, two minutes in. But the Aggies scored 10 unanswered points to close to within six, 51-44.
 
OPSU got to within four, 62-56, but Lopez scored five points during an 8-0 run that pushed it back out to 14, 70-56. The closest the Aggies got after that was nine.

"Our defense was great in the first half. We went to some zones in the second half, and credit OPSU for hitting shots to hang around," Harrelson said.
 
Led by Throns' hot hand, Wayland hit 10-of-22 3-pointers (46 percent) as part of shooting 51 percent (32-of-63) from the field. The Pioneers needed it as they were outscored by 13 at the free-throw line (10-of-16 vs. 23-of-31).
 
Wayland also dominated the boards, pulling down more than twice as many as the Aggies, 47-23. It included 11 offensive rebounds for the Pioneers. Guard J.J. Culver ended with seven rebounds to match his seven points, while Rokas Mazionis had seven boards and eight points.
 
DK Sumo led four Aggies in double figures with 21 points, including 5-of-10 3s.
 
The game featured just 11 total turnovers, seven by Wayland and four by OPSU.

"I'm most pleased with how we finished the end of each half. We executed, which has been a team focus lately," Harrelson said.

"We are getting better at the right time."
 
Now fourth in the SAC standings, the Pioneers next head to Oklahoma City for a Thursday night game against Mid-America Christian (15-10, 9-8), a team Wayland blew out at home, 75-55. The Evangels won at home Monday over seventh-ranked USAO, 101-90. Wayland ends the week in Chickasha taking on USAO on Saturday afternoon.