#10 Pioneers steamroll #12 Langston, 106-74

Dax Allen and Reese Puckett may not have thought they would make their varsity debuts just a couple of days after being promoted off the Wayland Baptist JV. What made it less likely was the Pioneers were taking on the second-place team in the Sooner Athletic Conference and the 12^th-ranked team in the NAIA.
 
But thanks to a mind-blowing first half by J.J. Culver and the first-place Pioneers, Allen and Puckett not only got in the game but both scored as 10^th-ranked Wayland soared to a 106-74 victory Thursday night in rocking Hutcherson Center.
 
"It was a great night for Wayland basketball," WBU coach Ty Harrelson said. "The atmosphere was great, the players played great, and we beat a really good basketball team, one that had already beaten us."
 
While their mid-December matchup in Oklahoma when the Pioneers took on then sixth-ranked Langston and lost a nail-biter by three, the rematch was a blowout from the opening tip. Wayland (17-5, 12-2 SAC) jumped out to an unlikely 23-2 lead and – on the strength of 10 first-half 3-pointers – owned an almost unbelievable 36-point intermission lead, 62-26.
 
"I thought our defense was awesome," Harrelson said. "(Assistant) coach (Landon) Hughey came up with a great game plan. We forced them to take tough shots, and for the most part we rebounded. They had a lot of one-and-dones.
 
"We also were hoping to contain them and keep them off the free-throw line, which we did at the start of the game."
 
Harrelson also bragged on his team's 16 first-half assists against just five turnovers.
 
"We shared the basketball and limited turnovers. That was the key to getting the big lead."
 
Wayland's 10-of-15 shooting from the 3-point line didn't hurt either. Six different players connected from long range, led by Culver going 4-of-6 as part of a 9-of-12 first-half shooting performance. The junior guard finished with a season-high 35 points – one off the career-high 36 he accomplished as a freshman – as he finished 13-of-36 (81 percent) from the field and 5-of-7 from 3-point range, to go with eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal.
 
"J.J. Culver…My goodness. He was just outstanding," Harrelson said. "Sheesh, he was good."
 
Culver was one of six Pioneers in double digits. Jack Nobles and Trevonta Robertson hit 13 apiece, Tre Fillmore went for a dozen and CJ Obinwa added 10. Twelve of the 14 Pioneers scored.
 
As a team Wayland shot an amazing 74 percent (25-of-34) from the field in the first half and finished at 69 percent (38-of-55), including 13-of-20 (65 percent) 3-pointers.
 
It was Wayland's highest offensive output of the season by 14 points and the most in a non-overtime win since a putting up 110 and 117 in back-to-back games against Northern New Mexico early in the 2016-17 season.
 
Wayland's lead increased to as many as 41 points, 83-42, midway through the second half. That allowed Harrelson to immediately honor the student section's loud request to insert Allen and, a short time later, Puckett.
 
"It was a great team win, and it was good to get a lot of guys some minutes against a good team," Harrelson said. "That's what will help us in the future, getting guys more experience against good teams."
 
Langston (17-5, 9-5 SAC), led by Tyron Killings Jr. with 16 points, shot just 30 percent (21-of-70), including 26 percent (10-of-38) on 3-pointers. Wayland outrebounded the Lions, 45-26, and ended with 22 assists, two short of a season-best.
 
Harrelson called it one of the most satisfying games he's been involved in in his four years as WBU's coach.
 
"All-around it was one of the most fun games I've been a part of at Wayland. The atmosphere, the quality of basketball that we played. That was some of the best execution we've had."
 
The Pioneers – who now own a three-game lead over Langston as No. 21 John Brown took over second place – face another challenge at 4 p.m. Saturday when Central Christian comes to won. The Tigers (11-10, 5-9) have dropped several tight games but picked up a big win in Goodwell, Okla., Thursday in double-overtime over Oklahoma-Panhandle State, 108-105.
 
The Pioneers edged Central Christian earlier this season in Kansas, 88-87, when Robertson converted a four-point play with 1.7 seconds left.
 
"They're a really well-coached team," Harrelson said. "Tonight's a great win for us, but it's just one game. We need to turn around and back it up on Saturday."