Culver, Nobles lead laser-focused Pioneers

J.J. Culver scored 29 points and Jack Nobles 23 to lead Wayland Baptist to a 92-71 victory over Southwestern Assemblies of God University on Thursday night in Hutcherson Center.
 
"To come out with a big win like that after our break is great," Wayland coach Ty Harrelson said. "I want to thank our alumni for coming in and playing us in a close exhibition (on Dec. 29) that helped us prepare."
 
The No. 24 Pioneers (9-4, 4-1 Sooner Athletic Conference) raced to a 19-3 lead and never looked back as they dispatched the Lions (9-4, 2-3) in a rematch of last year's conference tournament championship game. After Wayland's fast start, SAGU never got closer than 11 points.
 
Culver's season-high matching 29 points included four 3-pointers and 7-of-9 free-throw shooting, while Nobles' season-best 23 (his previous high was 16) featured 9-of-12 accuracy from the field and was accompanied by eight rebounds. Culver finished with seven boards, while Rokas Mazionis pulled down a game-high nine.
 
Josh Throns added a dozen points for the Pioneers, and CJ Obinwa 10 points and six assists.
 
"This was a really good team effort. Everybody who came in contributed in some way," Harrelson said.
 
SAGU got 24 points from Joshua Kashila, 12 from Kobe Wrice and 11 from Nykolas Mason.
 
The Lions actually scored the first three points of the game before Wayland, which made eight of its first 10 field goals, put up the next 19. Remarkably, Culver and Nobles combined for the Pioneers' first 24 points – 14 by Culver, including three 3s, and 10 by Nobles – at which point WBU led 24-5.
 
"We've done that a few times this season. Our starters come out really focused, and my assistant coaches are doing a great job with the game plan," Harrelson said.
 
WBU's first bucket by a player other than Culver or Nobles was a 3 by Tre Fillmore 9½ minutes into the game.
 
The Pioneers stretched their lead to as many as 20 on a couple of occasions before the Lions made what would be their only serious run, closing to within 11, 43-32. Wayland's lead was 13, 47-34, at intermission when Culver already had 20 points.
 
The Pioneers came out for the second half laser-focused again, scoring the first seven points. This time it was Culver and Obinwa doing the damage as they combined for WBU's first 11 points
 
After Wayland stretched it to 20 to start the second half, the Pioneers didn't let the Lions closer than 18 points the rest of the way. WBU's largest lead was 28.
 
"There have been times when we let teams back in games, but tonight we did a better job of keeping that focus and intensity," Harrelson said.
 
The Pioneers played for the first time without leading scorer and preseason all-American Trevonta Robertson, out due to breaking team rules. Harrelson knew he needed others to step up and fill the void, and they did, especially Culver and Nobles.
 
Harrelson said it was the Nobles' best game as a Pioneer as the 6-foot-6 junior transfer was 9-of-12 from the field, including several free-throw line jumpers. "He had a double-double in Colorado when he played fantastic, but this was his best scoring game. He stepped up his scoring and did well on the boards for us. He really sparked us with a big dunk in the first half that ignited the crowd. He's a tough kid."
 
As for Culver, the junior guard who has scored in double-figures every game this season finished seven shy of the career-best 36 points he scored as a freshman
 
"J.J. is J.J.," Harrelson said. "He's establishing himself as probably one of the best all-around players to come through Wayland. He's taking, and making, the right plays throughout the game. I'm glad he's on our team."
 
SAGU, which was ranked 18^th in the NAIA to start the season, leads the NAIA in steals per game, averaging almost 14 a game. The Lions managed just half that against Wayland
 
"We wanted to handle their pressure. It's a credit to our guys for being tough with the basketball," Harrelson said.
 
While Wayland shot 50 percent (31-of-62) from the field, 42 percent (10-of-24) from 3-point range, and 74 percent (20-of-27) from the free-throw line, SAGU struggled by hitting just 18 percent (5-of-28) from long range and 63 percent (20-of-32) from the foul line. The Pioneers held a 41-31 rebounding edge.
 
"I thought for the most part our defense was good the whole game," Harrelson said. "We had some breakdowns here and there, but the key to the start of the game and the key to the start of the second half (was good defense)."
 
The Pioneers are back in action at 4 p.m. Saturday against another team ranked in the NAIA Top 25, 2016-17 national champion Texas Wesleyan. The Rams (7-6, 2-3), No. 11 to start the season, lost on the road to Oklahoma-Panhandle State on Thursday, 92-78.
 
The last time Texas Wesleyan visited Plainview – on Nov. 30, 2017, in the wake of the school's national title – the Rams were ranked No. 1 in the NAIA, and Wayland won, 90-61.
 
"They're a premiere team in our conference," Harrelson said. "I'm sure they'll be prepared."

2018-19 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll – Poll 2 (Jan. 2, 2019)

RANK	LAST WEEK	SCHOOL [1st Place Votes]	RECORD	FINAL POINTS
1	1	LSU Alexandria (La.) [4]	13-2	208
2	4	William Penn (Iowa) [2]	13-1	205
3	3	Carroll (Mont.) [2]	14-1	204
4	6	Langston (Okla.)	12-0	203
5	8	Missouri Baptist [1]	15-0	194
6	2	The Master's (Calif.)	12-2	192
7	5	Campbellsville (Ky.)	14-1	174
8	11	Stillman (Ala.)	12-0	171
9	9	Georgetown (Ky.)	13-1	163
10	10	Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)	13-1	156
11	12	Arizona Christian	13-1	155
12	15	Benedictine (Kan.)	11-2	130
12	14	Oklahoma City	8-2	130
12	13	Wiley (Texas)	10-2	130
15	NR	Vanguard (Calif.)	14-0	124
16	16	Pikeville (Ky.)	13-2	113
17	NR	Tougaloo (Miss.)	11-2	104
18	18	Central Baptist (Ark.)	11-1	103
19	21	Cumberlands (Ky.)	13-2	95
20	17	Peru State (Neb.)	10-3	90
21	23	John Brown (Ark.)	10-3	79
22	NR	William Carey (Miss.)	8-4	69
23	NR	Providence (Mont.)	10-3	64
24	19	Wayland Baptist (Texas)	8-4	50
25	NR	William Jessup (Calif.)	11-3	47

Dropped from the Top 25: Faulkner (Ala.), Westmont (Calif.), LSU-Shreveport (La.), Dillard (La.), Graceland (Iowa).

Others Receiving Votes: LSU Shreveport (La.) 40, Faulkner (Ala.) 37, Central Methodist (Mo.) 27, Hope International (Calif.) 22, Xavier (La.) 12, Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 6, Talladega (Ala.) 5, Science & Arts (Okla.) 3.