CHICKASHA, Okla. – Wayland Baptist's season-best five-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of Science & Arts of Oklahoma as the 10
th-ranked Drovers held off the Pioneers in Sooner Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon, 83-73.
In its final regular-season road game, Wayland (15-12, 11-9 SAC) hung tough with the Drovers (23-4, 18-2), overcoming an 11-point halftime deficit and pulling to within four midway through the second half.
It was a five-point game when Science & Arts went on an 8-1 run to go up by double digits with five minutes to play. The Pioneers weren't able to get closer to eight after that.
RJ Mason finished with a team-high 17 points and career-best 14 rebounds for Wayland.
Josh Servantez added 15 points,
Gage Hulse 11 and
Jordan Brannon nine.
Jibrael Washington blocked four shots.
Rory Pantophlet paced the Drovers with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Stephon Hall tacked on 13 and Elvin Rodriguez and Tre'veon Ellis 11 each. Gerard Makuntae ended with a dozen boards.
The Pioneers, who fell to S&A in Plainview on Jan. 6 73-70, turned it over more than twice as many times as the home team, 15-7. Wayland shot 37 percent (23-of-61) from the field, including 32 percent (9-of-28) from 3-point range, and 64 percent (18-of-28) from the free-throw line. The Drovers were 24-of-31 (77 percent) from the stripe, 5-of-16 (31 percent) from deep, and 27-of-65 (42 percent) from the floor.
S&A outrebounded Wayland by one, 47-46.
Wayland returns to Hutcherson Center for its final two regular-season games, first at 7:45 p.m. Thursday against No. 16 Southwestern Assemblies of God. The second-place Lions (19-6, 16-4), who defeated Central Christian on Saturday, 80-57, defeated Wayland in Waxahachie earlier this season, 67-65.
