WAXAHACHIE –
Josh Throns hit six 3-pointers and scored 18 points while
J.J. Culver recorded a double-double as No. 9 Wayland Baptist ended the regular-season with a 92-78 win over Southwestern Assemblies of God University here Saturday afternoon.
The win sends the Sooner Athletic Conference champion Pioneers (24-6, 19-3 SAC) into the league tourney on a six-game league winning streak. As the top seed, Wayland hosts the eighth-seeded Oklahoma-Panhandle State (15-13, 10-12) in a game set for 8 p.m. Tuesday in Hutcherson Center.
"We are excited about the tournament and really need the local community – from Lubbock to Amarillo and everything in between – to come watch us play on Tuesday night," Wayland coach
Ty Harrelson said. "We would like to send our players off on the right note."
The Pioneers swept OPSU in the regular-season, 82-76 at home in mid-January and most recently, 97-87 in Goodwell, Okla., on Feb. 12. A third win over the Aggies will send the Pioneers to Oklahoma City University, site of the semifinals and finals next weekend.
Against SAGU (19-11, 12-10), a team Wayland defeated earlier this season in Plainview, 92-71, the Pioneers jumped out to a 9-0 lead and never trailed. The Lions quickly cut it to one, 15-14, but Wayland promptly pushed the margin back out to 10, 24-14. The closest SAGU got over that was four.
"Rokas (Mazionis) and Jack (Nobles) got us going early with great ball movement. Tre (Fillmore) and Josh came in and shot the ball really well," Harrelson said.
Wayland led 50-44 early in the second half when the Pioneers went on a 13-2 run to assume a commanding 17-point, 63-46 advantage. WBU's largest lead was 20.
The Pioneers hit 11-of-25 3-pointers (44 percent), with Throns knocking down 6-of-9 (67 percent). Wayland shot 51 percent (33-of-65) overall and made 15-of-20 free throws (75 percent).
"Our depth and ability to score on all three levels kept pressure on SAGU," Harrelson said.
Culver went 6-of-7 from the field and finished with 16 points and a season-high 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.
Trevonta Robertson added 15 points, Fillmore 11 and Nobles 10.
"Five players in double-figures shows how dynamic our team can be," Harrelson said. "Trevonta played great defense and found a way to score at the rim again today."
SAGU shot 40 percent overall (27-of-67) but just 19 percent (5-of-26) from long range. The Lions, who were 19-of-24 (79 percent) at the free throw line, were led by Nykolas Mason's 19 points. Cameron Hill added 18, Joshua Kashila 14 and Darian Davis 10.
Wayland outrebounded SAGU, 42-36, and committed 14 turnovers. The Lions gave it away 11 times.
Harrelson praised his team's depth for the week, which started with an exhibition loss to NCAA Division I Texas-Rio Grande Valley before Thursday's 81-73 win in Fort Worth over Texas Wesleyan.
"I thought Chris (Doerue), Spencer (Lindsey) and Rokas all did a great job this week on both sides of the ball. Dominic (Cervantez) played his role this week. He was, really solid and does all the things that don't always show up in the stats."
Wayland's coach then voiced his excitement over what awaits the Pioneers in the post-season.
"We are proud of our team's ability to close out the second half of conference better than we played the first half. My coaching staff did a great job this week keeping us focused. Coach (Landon) Hughey, Coach (Xavier) Webb and Coach (Ruben) Lopez have to get credit for our success this year. They are machines in their work ethic and our team responds to them.
"To be one win from 25 with our schedule this year and two tournaments ahead is amazing. It's a tribute to our program and everyone buying in."
