Another close one doesn't go Pioneers' way

FORT WORTH – Another close game didn't go the way of the 20th-ranked Wayland Baptist Pioneers here Saturday afternoon as No. 24 Texas Wesleyan escaped with a 68-66 Sooner Athletic Conference victory.

The defending national champion Rams (16-7, 10-4 SAC) led by as many as 11 points in the first half, but Wayland (15-7, 7-6) scored the first half's last six points to cut it to four at intermission, 30-26.

The Pioneers went down by 11 again in the second half, 47-36, and this time came all the way back to take a 61-60 lead on a pair of free throws by Trevonta Robertson with just over four minutes left.

Wayland was up 66-64 following a dunk and free throw by Robertson, but the Pioneers didn't score in the final 1:40 while the Rams did just enough by scoring the final four points.

WBU missed a layup then a pair of free throws with 33 seconds left on either side of four free throws by the Rams. The Pioneers' last chance ended with a 3-pointer by Josh Throns being partially blocked.

The outcome ruined a big night for Samuel Kalwanyi, who posted 20 points – two off his season-best – and a season-high 15 rebounds. Lopez chipped in 13 points, Robertson 12 and Tyrone Davis 10.

The Rams were led in scoring by Branden Jenkins' 22, Ryan Harris' 16 and Curtiss Anderson's 12.

Wayland outrebounded TWU by 11, 42-31, but missed two fewer free throws (10-of-16 compared to 12-of-16). The Rams hit 10-of-25 3-pointers versus WBU's 6-of-19. Both teams had 15 turnovers.

Wayland defeated Texas Wesleyan when the teams met earlier this season in Plainview in the conference opener, 90-61, but the Rams were without four key players. They've since returned, and TWU has won 10 of its last 11 games.

It was a tough week on the road for the Pioneers, starting with an 86-50 exhibition loss to NCAA Division I Texas-Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg on Tuesday. In Waxahachie on Thursday, Wayland couldn't make a 22-point lead stand and fell to Southwestern Assemblies of God University, 108-106 in double-overtime. WBU's last on-court victory was Jan. 20.

The Pioneers will look to put all of that behind them when they return home for a pair of games next week against Central Christian (12-10, 5-9) on Thursday night and No. 15 Oklahoma City (17-5, 10-4) Saturday afternoon. Central Christian upset No. 7 USAO on Saturday in Kansas, 85-67, while OCU won its sixth in a row at home over Mid-America Christian, 83-69. In the first half of SAC play, Wayland lost on the road to OCU, 79-70, and defeated CCC, 78-70.