Plainview, Texas –
Linton Brown scored 21 points,
Bol Tong added 16 points off the bench, and
Brett Leach added 12 points as the 23
rd ranked Wayland Baptist Pioneers (11-4, 6-3 SAC) defeated the Trailblazers of UNT-Dallas Saturday afternoon at the Hutch.
The Pioneers and the Trailblazers traded buckets for the first five minutes of the game, but Brown was able to generate a steal leading to a wide open 3-pointer by Leach to give the Pioneers a 13-10 lead. With just over 12 minutes remaining in the half and the game tied at 16 a piece, Brown attacked the basket and passed to a slashing Tong who finished the layup through contact for the and-one. After a Trailblazer missed layup, Leach was able to outlet a pass to
Tahjae Hill in transition to convert an and-one layup himself. The Pioneers took a 39-32 lead into the halftime break.
Coming out of the halftime break, the Pioneers got a jolt of energy from Tong as he scored 7 points in the first two and a half minutes of the half. This gave the Pioneers a 47-36 lead and forced the Trailblazers to call a timeout to regroup. With just under ten minutes remaining in regulation,
Tahjae Hill knocked down a big 3-pointer after multiple offensive rebounds on the possession by
Jaxon Recer, giving the Pioneers a 63-45 lead. Tong would convert another and-one play with just over two minutes remaining in the game giving the Pioneers a 29-point lead. Wayland Baptist went on to defeat UNT-Dallas by a score of 85-55.
Linton Brown finished with 21 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and shot 5-6 from 3-point range.
Bol Tong added 16 points, 2 rebounds, and shot 6-8 from the floor.
Brett Leach had 12 points and 6 rebounds.
Meikkel Murray had 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists off the bench.
Tahjae Hill finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Next for the 23
rd ranked Pioneers is another Sooner Athletic Conference matchup against Oklahoma Panhandle State University (4-9, 2-7 SAC). Tip is scheduled for Tuesday night at 8:00 PM at the Hutcherson Center.
