CHANDLER, Ariz. --- The Wayland Baptist Pioneers opened the 2026 NAIA Men's Basketball National Tournament with an impressive offensive performance, defeating Carroll (Mont.) 116–94 on Friday afternoon at the Coyote Center in Chandler, Arizona.
This is the Pioneers' first win in the NAIA Men's Basketball National Tournament since reaching the Sweet 16 during the 2017-2018 season.
Wayland Baptist improved to 24-7 on the season and advanced in the national tournament behind a balanced scoring attack and an explosive second half that saw the Pioneers pull away from the Saints.
The Pioneers led 53-45 at halftime after shooting over 51 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes. Wayland continued its offensive rhythm in the second half, scoring 63 points while shooting 57.5 percent from the floor to seal the 22-point victory.
Jamari Lawrence led the charge for Wayland Baptist with 25 points on an efficient 10-of-14 shooting performance while knocking down five three-pointers.
Rico Yarbrough added 26 points, seven rebounds, and four steals, providing a major spark on both ends of the floor.
Marcus Green also finished in double figures with 17 points, while
Julian Perez chipped in 14 points and four assists.
Inside presence from
Chuks Ejiofor helped the Pioneers control the paint as he contributed 12 points and four rebounds.
Brett Leach provided a key boost off the bench with 12 points, including three three-pointers.
Wayland Baptist's offense was firing on all cylinders throughout the contest. The Pioneers shot 54.3 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc while also capitalizing on Carroll turnovers. Wayland turned defensive pressure into offense, scoring 33 points off turnovers and adding 54 points in the paint.
The game remained competitive early in the second half as Carroll briefly narrowed the gap to a single possession. However, the Pioneers responded with a decisive run midway through the period, stretching their advantage into double digits and eventually building a lead as large as 26 points.
With the victory, the 7-seed Pioneers will take on 2-seed Arizona Christian on Saturday, March 14
th, at 5:00 PM MT with a berth to the Kansas City on the line.
