Pioneers cruise past Warriors, 104-47

Wayland Baptist allowed just 15 points in the first half, scored 56 in the second and went on to post a decisive 104-47 win over Bacone College (Okla.) on Saturday afternoon in Hutcherson Center.
 
The non-conference victory over the winless Warriors (0-18) was never in doubt after the Pioneers (13-6) – coming off a 64-56 loss to No. 9 John Brown on Thursday – scored 17 unanswered points, expanding a 13-6 margin to 30-6.
 
Wayland led 48-15 at intermission. The Pioneers' largest lead was 61, 102-41.
 
J.J. Culver missed just two shots all day, going 10-of-12 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line to lead the Pioneers with 25 points. He was followed by Jack Nobles with 17 (7-of-8 inside the 3-point line) and freshman Gage Hulse with a season-high 11. Mattia Cafisi added nine while Bonny Udoh and Hunter Henderson got eight each as 12 of the 14 Pioneers scored.
 
Wayland shot 63 percent from the field (24-of-38) in the second half and 56 percent overall (44-of-79). Former Sooner Athletic Conference member Bacone, now an NAIA Division II independent, struggled to 27 percent shooting (14-of-52). The Warriors turned the ball over 29 times, almost twice as many as Wayland's 15.
 
The Pioneers pulled down 52 rebounds, compared to Bacone's 30.
 
It was Wayland's fourth time this season scoring 100 or more points. The Warriors' 47 points were the second-fewest allowed by the Pioneers, behind only the 40 scored by University of the Southwest in a 31-point WBU victory.
 
Wayland returns to conference play at 7:45 p.m. Thursday against Texas Wesleyan as the Pioneers open the second half of SAC play. The No. 19 Rams (14-5, 7-3 SAC) lost at home Saturday to Central Christian, 78-75.
 
The Pioneers will be looking to avenge a forgettable 97-50 to Wesleyan in Fort Worth on Jan. 4 when Wayland was ranked No. 9