LANGSTON, Okla. --- Wayland Baptist men's basketball battled toe-to-toe with one of the Sooner Athletic Conference's top teams Thursday night, but a late offensive drought proved costly as the Pioneers fell to #5 Langston, 63–55, on the road.
Wayland (8–3, 3–3 SAC) controlled much of the opening 25 minutes, defending at a high level, dominating the glass early, and even building multiple leads in the second half. But turnovers and Langston's timely perimeter shooting allowed the Lions (9–2, 5–1 SAC) to surge ahead for good inside the final eight minutes.
The Pioneers set the tone defensively from the tip, forcing Langston into 26% shooting over the opening period. Wayland endured its own shooting struggles—particularly from deep—but leaned on physicality and free throws to stay within striking distance.
Rico Yarbrough continued his steady presence inside, posting 10 points and seven rebounds while going a perfect 4-for-4 at the line.
Marcus Green carried the scoring load early, later finishing with a team-high 14 points.
Despite a cold 0-for-7 start from three, the Pioneers clawed their way back from an early 17–9 deficit.
Brett Leach provided a lift off the bench with a crafty finish to pull WBU within two, and the Pioneers finally tied it at 22 with a pair of Yarbrough free throws in the final minute. Wayland went into halftime with a 23-22 after a defensive slugfest.
Wayland opened the second half with renewed energy. A
Julian Perez jumper and a pair of Green free throws helped the Pioneers take a 27-25. Moments later, a transition bucket from
Damonze Woods and a driving finish from Yarbrough gave WBU its largest lead at 33–29 with 16:47 remaining.
Defensively, the Pioneers continued to challenge everything in the paint, forcing Langston into contested perimeter attempts while winning the rebounding battle for much of the night.
But as the half progressed, Langston's bench began to find rhythm. The Lions knocked down four second-half threes—including two from Antonio Lewis, who finished with a game-high 17 points—and gradually chipped away at Wayland's lead.
Turnovers proved costly as the Pioneers committed 18 giveaways, many of them in the backcourt against Langston's pressure. Wayland also finished just 1-for-13 from three, making it difficult to regain momentum once the Lions surged ahead.
A 9–0 Langston run midway through the half flipped a 41–38 Wayland advantage into a 47–41 deficit. The Pioneers continued to fight, getting timely baskets from Green and Dorsey, but were unable to string together enough stops to close the gap.
Key Performances
Wayland shot a solid 20-for-25 at the free-throw line and held a 33–33 battle on the boards, but Langston's 25 bench points and 11 second-chance points ultimately made the difference.
The Pioneers will look to snap their three-game skid on Saturday, December 13
th when they travel to McPherson, Kansas for a match up against the Tigers of Central Christian College. The game is scheduled to tip-off at approximately 4:00 PM.
