Gallery: (2-27-2023) Men's Basketball vs. OCU
OKLAHOMA CITY – Wayland Baptist rallied from a 17-point deficit with 11 minutes to play to secure a 74-70 victory over Oklahoma City University in the Oklahoma Ford Dealers Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals here Monday night.
The win secures a bid to the NAIA National Championships for second-seeded Wayland (23-7), which faces top-seeded, fifth-ranked Langston (28-2) in the tourney championship. Tip-off back in Gaulke Activity Center on the Mid-America Christian University campus is at 8 p.m., after the Flying Queens take on Southwestern Christian in the women's final at 5:30.
The Pioneers – winners of 13 of their last 14 games – split with Langston during the regular-season, with each team winning at home. The Lions took the Dec. 12 meeting, 86-74, before Wayland won in Plainview on Feb. 4, 90-80.
Against OCU (17-13), Wayland found itself down by 17, 61-44, with 11½ minutes to play, but a technical foul for taunting against OCU changed the momentum, kick-starting a finish that saw the Pioneers outscore the Stars 30-9 the rest of the way.
That included 13 unanswered points that pulled Wayland to within four. The Stars regrouped a bit and led 68-62 with 3:43 to play, but the Pioneers scored the next 10 points, including back-to-back jumpers by
Tedrick Wolfe then four straight points by
Parrish Hewitt, the last two on game-sealing free throws with six seconds to play.
Before those free throws, Wayland
Dylan McDougal came up with a key play as the All-SAC Defensive Team member blocked a layup from behind that ended with the ball hitting off the Stars shooter who had fallen out of bounds. It was McDougal's third block of the season.
Hewitt and
RJ Mason led Wayland with 20 points each, while Wolfe put in 13.
D'Michael Bellfield turned in his fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 boards.
As they've done most of the season, the Pioneers held a big turnover advantage, giving it away just 10 times compared to 19 for OCU. WBU needed those extra possessions as the Stars hit 11-of-25 3-pointers (44 percent) compared to the Pioneers' 3-of-15 (20 percent).
OCU was led in scoring by Dravon Clayton with 23. Kori Guest added a dozen and Avery Jackson 11.
The teams split during the regular-season, first with OCU winning in Plainview, 88-82, then the Pioneers prevailing on the road, 90-84.
Wayland is back in the conference tournament championship for the second straight season, having lost to Southwestern Assemblies of God last year, 58-56. The Pioneers will be looking for their first tourney title since winning its only two crowns in 2015 and '16.
