Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY – Wayland Baptist rallied from two big deficits – first in regulation then again in overtime – but wound up dropping an 81-80 decision to Mid-America Christian in Sooner Athletic Conference play here Thursday night.
The Evangels won it on a 3-pointer by Andre Horn with 8 seconds left. With no timeouts, Wayland hurried up the floor and
Trevonta Robertson – the Pioneers' top scorer with 19 points – managed to get off a baseline jumper at the buzzer, but it didn't fall.
It's the second straight year that Wayland (18-8, 10-7 SAC) – which fell from 20
th to the equivalent of 29
th in this week's NAIA Top 25 – dropped a one-point, overtime road decision against MACU (16-10, 10-8). The Evangels prevailed last year, 100-99.
The Pioneers defeated MACU, then ranked No. 12, on Jan. 13 in Plainview, 75-55.
Thursday's game – the sixth in Wayland's last seven SAC outings decided by four points or less – featured 16 lead changes.
The Pioneers were down 68-61 with 55 seconds left in regulation but scored seven in a row to force OT. The first three came on free throws from Robertson.
J.J. Culver came up with a steal that led to a bucket by
Ruben Lopez.
Another steal by Culver resulted in a tying field goal by
Kraig Shields with 26 seconds left. MACU held for the final shot but missed at the horn.
In OT, the Pioneers again found themselves down, 78-73, with just under 2 minutes remaining before scoring the next seven points. Lopez made a couple of free throws, Robertson scored on a fast-break then after another turnover by MACU Lopez put down a 3-pointer that gave the Pioneers an 80-78 lead with 23 ticks left.
After a timeout, the Evangels passed it around the perimeter until Horne – the game's leading scorer with 24 – came up at the top of the key where he found the bottom of the bucket with :08 showing. Robertson's long two-pointer on the other end missed its mark.
Besides Robertson's 19, which included 8-of-8 free throws, Lopez finished with 14 points, Culver 10 and Shields nine.
Tyrone Davis and
Samuel Kalwanyi got eight each, with Kalwanyi the top rebounder with seven.
The Pioneers hit twice as many free throws as MACU – 18-of-22 (82 percent) to 9-of-12 (75 percent). Wayland shot 43 percent from the field compared to 49 percent for the Evangels.
WBU took a season-low 14 3-pointers, hitting six. MACU was 8-of-21 from long range.
In addition to Horne's 24, Jordan Rhodes put in 19 points (to go with nine rebounds) and Chinua Massena 12 for the Evangels.
Wayland plays its final regular-season road game at 3 p.m. Saturday in Chickasha against No. 16 USAO (20-7, 11-7), an 86-58 winner over Oklahoma Panhandle State on Thursday. The Pioneers defeated the Drovers when they met Jan. 11 in Plainview, 96-74.
The Pioneers are in fifth place in the SAC standings, just a half-game behind fourth-place USAO. The top four teams host first-round SAC Tournament games before the final four advance to Siloam Springs, Ark., to play for a spot in the NAIA National Championships in Kansas City.
WBU ends the regular-season next week by hosting last-place Bacone (5-22, 1-16) and seventh-place John Brown (15-11, 9-8).
