Pioneer Men's Basketball
2005-06 NEWS

DAVENPORT NAMED HEAD COACH

Robert Davenport, head coach at the University of Texas-Pan American for the past two seasons, has been named as the 10th head coach of the Wayland Baptist University Pioneer basketball team.

“I couldn’t be happier,” says Davenport, a native of Oklahoma and a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University. “ This is just such a great fit for me and my family. It is great to be back at a Baptist institution and a part of a competitive conference like the SAC [Sooner Athletic Conference]. I truly believe that this is the right fit at the right time.

"Coach Thurman and Coach Dean have done a good job in directing the program, and there is a good nucleus of players coming back. I hope to continue to improve on that. I know how competitive the league is, and what it will take to achieve our goal of getting back to the national tournament and making a run at the championship.”

“Wayland is fortunate to land a coach with Robert's credentials,” says Dr. Greg Feris, WBU’s Director of Athletics. “He had everything we were looking for in a new coach: head coaching experience, experience in the Sooner Conference, and the understanding of what a faith-based institution is all about. We welcome him and his family to Plainview.”

Davenport has over 15 years of coaching experience, including five years as an assistant coach at UT-Pan American before taking over the reigns in 2004. During his time at UTPA, which competes as a NCAA Division I Independent, the program graduated 24 out of 28 seniors and accumulated 80 victories. The 2000-01 team ranked 11th among all NCAA D-I teams in scoring and 23rd in field goal percentage.

A member of the NCAA Division I Assistant Coach’s Committee from 2001-2004, he recruited UTPA’s first All-American in 20 years, nine All-Independent players and a pair of Independent Defensive Player of the Year award winners.

Prior to his time in the Rio Grande Valley, Davenport spent two years as head coach at LeTourneau University and Missouri Baptist University. At Missouri Baptist, Davenport guided his team to a 15-18 record and a second place finish in the American Midwest Conference Tournament in 1999. The 15 wins were more than the previous two years combined. He recruited two All-AMC players, four All-Academic AMC players, the MBU all-time single-season assist leader, and a NAIA Honorable Mention All-American. He also served on the NAIA National Tournament Redcoat Committee for two years.

A member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches for the past 15 years, Davenport was an assistant coach from 1993 to 1997 at Oklahoma Baptist University, where he recruited four NAIA All-Americans and two NAIA All-American Scholar Athletes. OBU won two SAC crowns and qualified for the NAIA national tournament each of those years, finishing second in 1997.

A standout collegiate player for the Bison his final two seasons, Davenport began his playing career at Oklahoma Christian University. Upon completing his collegiate eligibility in 1986, he spent one season playing for Athletes in Action in South America. He received his bachelor’s degree in public relations from OBU in 1988, and earned a master’s degree in secondary education from East Central University in 1996.Davenport and his wife, LeAnna, have been married for 19 years and have two children; Morgan, 11, and Reed, 7. He is an Ordained Deacon and member of the First Baptist Church in McAllen.

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PIONEER COACH RESIGNS

Todd Thurman, head men's basketball coach at Wayland Baptist University for the past seven years, has resigned to take over the reigns at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. SWOSU is a NCAA Division II institution, and competes in the North Division of the Lone Star Conference.

A native of Yukon, Okla. and a former NAIA All-American who won a national championship while playing at Southern Nazarene University, Thurman was 131-82 as the Pioneer coach and led the team to four NAIA national tournament appearances. Five Pioneers were named NAIA All-Americans during his tenure, including Ty Harrelson, the only 1st team All-American in WBU men's basketball history.

Dr. Greg Feris, Director of Athletics at Wayland, credits Thurman with bringing back the winning tradition of Pioneer basketball.

"Everyone associated with Wayland athletics is grateful for his hard work and effort. He brought an energy and passion to the game that was a positive influence on our players and fans alike. His teams were a force to be reckoned with every time they stepped on the floor with a Sooner Conference opponent."

In 2004, the Pioneers appeared in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament championship game for the first time in school history.

"I wished we could have convinced him to stay with us for another run at a SAC championship," says Feris, "but at the same time I'm happy for him and his family as they return to their Oklahoma roots."A search to replace Thurman will begin immediately.

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WEBB NAMED TO ALL-AMERICAN TEAM

Kendall Webb, a 5'10 junior guard for the Wayland Baptist Pioneers, has been named to the 2006 NAIA Men's Basketball All-American Third Team.  The Amarillo native helped lead the Pioneers to a 19-11 overall record and a berth in the NAIA Championship Tournament. The WBU men lost 84-77 in the first round of the tournament to Olivet Nazarene University.

Webb was the 2005-06 WBU leader in points, assists and three-point shooting. He averaged 18.9 points and 4.6 assists per game, and made 73 three-point shots. A Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Week this season and first team All-Sooner Athletic Conference performer, Webb joined the Pioneer 1,000 Point Club on December 15, 2005, and by the end of the 2006 season, the Randall High graduate had moved into 12th place in WBU career scoring with 1,419 points.

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PIONEERS FALL IN NATIONAL TOURNEY

Despite a valiant comeback from a 22-point first half deficit, the Pioneers fall to Olivet Nazarene, 84-77, in the first round of the 2006 NAIA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament.  The loss ends the WBU season.

Wayland took their first and only lead of the game on Clifton Clarida's three-pointer that made the score 9-8 with 15:01 left in the half.  The Tigers went on a 14-0 run immediately after that and were up 40-18 with 3:34 remaining, but senior DeJuan Davis got red-hot, hitting three straight three-pointers to cut the lead to a more manageable 13 at the intermission.

A 13-4 run by the Pioneers to start the second half cut the lead to 46-42, but ONU would not surrender.  Wayland managed to get to within 73-72 at 4:27 on a pair of free throws by Davis, but consecutive baskets in the lane by the Tigers built the lead back up to five.  ONU hit four free throws in the final 35.6 seconds to seal the victory. Olivet Nazarene shot 52 percent (31-of-60) from the field and 64 percent (9-of-14) from behind the arch, while the Pioneers were just 41 percent (25-of-61) from the field and only 29 percent (9-of-31) from long range.  Davis had seven of the nine three-pointers to lead all scorers with 25 points.  Clarida had 15, Kendall Webb added 14, and Nate Bridges picked up his 19th career double-double with 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. 

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OLIVET NAZARENE FIRST UP AT NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

The Wayland Baptist University Pioneer basketball team opens play at the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament Wednesday, March 15, against Olivet Nazarene University (Illinois) at 9 a.m. in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The winner will face the winner of Mountain State University (W.Va.)-Southwest Assemblies University (Texas) at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 17.

The Pioneers received the tournament’s 16th seed, while the Tigers of Olivet Nazarene are unseeded. WBU began the year ranked 29th and finished the year 17th in the final NAIA Top 25 Poll. Olivet Nazarene was ranked 28th in the NAIA preseason poll and finished 15th.  ONU won the Chicago Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) regular season with an 11-1 record. The Tigers completed the regular season 21-10 overall, while WBU was 19-10 overall.  Both teams lost in the semi-final round of their conference tournaments.

Wayland Baptist is making its 13th appearance in the NAIA Division I National Tournament and fourth in five years.  The Tigers are making their first trip to the NAIA National Tournament since the 2002–2003 season, when they reached the Elite Eight. The Tigers have faced a team from the SAC in each of their last two national tournament appearances. In 2002, the Tigers lost 89-69 to Oklahoma Baptist in the NAIA Elite Eight. In 2003, Olivet defeated John Brown University (Ark.) 83-78 in the NAIA Sweet 16.

The Pioneers are led by Kendall Webb, a 5’10” junior guard who is averaging 19 points per game. Webb was a Sooner Athletic First-Team All-Conference selection and has hit a team-leading 73 three-point shots. Also averaging double figures is 6’2” senior forward Clifton Clarida, who is averaging 14 points. He was an SAC Third-Team All-Conference choice and drained 51 three-pointers. DeJuan Davis, a 6’3” senior guard, was an SAC Honorable Mention selection. Davis has hit 55 three-point shots and is averaging 11.5 points.

Olivet had three players named to the First Team CCAC All-Conference team, led by forward Stan Chismark.  The 6-5 junior is the Tiger’s scoring leader, averaging 14.7 points a game.  He put in a team-high 53 three-pointers and was second on the team in rebounds (6.4/g) and assists (3.2/g).  The other first team honorees were 6-0 senior guard Zach Birkey and 6’7 sophomore forward Phil French.  Birkey is the team’s assist leader, handing out 4.35 a game, while French comes off the bench to contribute 11 points and 5.3 boards. 

The teams had one common opponent during the 2005-06 season.  The Pioneers lost to 3rd-ranked Robert Morris College 95-92 in overtime during the first game of the Plainview Lion’s Classic back in December.  ONU swept Robert Morris, a fellow CCAC member, during the season by scores of 89-88 and 81-78.This will not be the first time that Olivet Nazarene and Wayland Baptist have met at the NAIA National Tournament. The two teams met in the first round in 1992, with Olivet winning 82-65. It was Olivet’s first- ever victory at the national tournament.

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PIONEERS SEEDED 16TH IN NATIONAL TOURNEY

The Pioneers will be the opening act for next week's 2006 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship.  WBU, 19-10 and the 16th seed, will take on unseeded Olivet Nazarene University (21-10) in the tourney's opening game at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 15.

If Wayland wins, they will take on the winner of the Mountain State/Southwest Assemblies of God game on Friday at 8 p.m.  Mountain State, 28-2 and the top seed, has eliminated the Pioneers in each of their past three tournament appearances.

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BRIDGES JOINS 1,000 POINT CLUB

Nate Bridges became the 35th member of the Pioneer 1,000 point in Saturday night's 84-71 loss to Oklahoma Baptist in the semi-final round of the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament.  The 6-6 senior forward from Levelland had six points in the game, which gives him 1,001 points in his three-year WBU career.

Bridges will have at least one more game in a Pioneer uniform.  The Wayland men, who were ranked 17th in last week's NAIA poll, will receive an at-large bid to the NAIA Men's National Championship Tournament which will take place March 15-21 at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium.  The bracket for the tournament will be released before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8.

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FOUR PIONEERS NAMED TO ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

Four Pioneers were honored on the All-Sooner Athletic Conference team released Tuesday. Kendall Webb was named the All-SAC First Team. The 5-10 junior guard from Amarillo leads the Pioneers in scoring and is third in the conference, averaging 18.9 points.  He is currently in 13th place in Pioneer scoring with 1,363 career points. Clifton Clarida, a 6-3 senior guard from Sierra Vista, Ariz., was named to the Third Team. He averages 14.1 points per game, and leads the SAC in three-point field goal shooting.

Two other Pioneers, 6-6 senior forward Nate Bridges of Levelland and 6-2 senior guard DeJuan Davis of Tulsa, earned Honorable Mention recognition.  Bridges averages 9.3 points and 6.7 rebounds, while Davis puts in 10.8 points a game.

Bridges and Webb were also named to the SAC’s Academic All-Conference team.  Student-athletes must be a junior or senior with a 3.25 grade point average or higher.

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CLARIDA NAMED SAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Pioneer guard Clifton Clarida has been named Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Week for Feb. 20-26.  The 6'3 senior from Sierra Vista, Ariz., averaged 20 points in leading the Pioneers past Northwestern Oklahoma State and USAO.  He shot 68 percent from the field, 56 percent from three-point range, and 90 percent from the charity stripe.  Clarida also averaged 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in his final two appearances at Hutcherson Center.

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SAC TOURNAMENT MEN'S BRACKET SET

The Pioneers will enter this week's Sooner Athletic Conference tournament as the third seed with a 12-6 conference record.  WBU will take on sixth-seeded Southern Nazarene University (8-10) in a second round match-up on Friday, March 3 at 9:45 p.m.  All games will be held at Oklahoma Baptist University.

The two teams split their meetings this season with the Pioneers winning by a score of 66-60 at Bethany, and the Crimson Storm taking a 90-87 decision in Plainview.

Thursday:
 6:00 pm - #8 Northwestern Oklahoma (7-11) vs. #9 Lubbock Christian (3-15)
8:00 pm - #7 USAO (3-10) vs. #10 St. Gregory's (2-16)

Friday:
4:30 pm - #1 Oklahoma City (16-2) vs. NWOSU/LCU winner
6:15 pm - #5 Oklahoma Christian (10-8) vs. #4 John Brown (11-7)
8:00 pm - #2 Oklahoma Baptist (13-5) vs. USAO/SGU winner
9:45 pm - #3 Wayland Baptist (12-6) vs. #6 Southern Nazarene (8-10)

Saturday:
6:00 pm - OCU/NWOSU/LCU winner vs. OC/JBU winner
8:00 pm - OBU/USAO/SGU winner vs. SNU/WBU winner

Monday:
7:30 pm - Championship game

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PIONEERS DOMINATE DROVERS

In what may be their most complete performance of the 2005-06 season, the Pioneers dominated the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma 99-66 in front of a large and boisterous homecoming crowd.  Kendall Webb scored 25 of his game-high 30 points in the first half when the WBU men jumped out to a 57-31 lead at intermission.  The 30 points tied a career high for Webb.

In their final appearance at Hutcherson Center, seniors Clifton Clarida and DeJuan Davis contributed 19 and 14 points respectively, and Nate Bridges grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.  

The Pioneers hit 15 of 33 shots from three-point range and out-rebounded the Drovers 44-32. Next up for the Pioneers is a trip to Shawnee, OK for the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament.  WBU will have a first round bye, and will start play on Friday, March 3.  The time and opponent will be announced Sunday evening, Feb. 26.

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WBU SURVIVES PHYSICAL BATTLE

The Pioneers got back on the winning track with a 68-52 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Hutcherson Center on Thursday.  Clifton Clarida had a game-high 21 points to lead the WBU men to their 17 win of the season.

Clarida opened the contest with a three and Wayland never looked back.  The WBU men led by as much as 14 in the first 20 minutes, but the Rangers managed to close the gap to within three at the 2:24 mark before intermission.NWOSU hit a three to start the scoring in the second period and narrowed the margin to 30-28, but Clarida scored 10 of the next 19 points to open up the game for good.

A senior from Sierra Vista, AZ, Clarida hit 7-of-10 of his shots from the field, including 4-of-5 from behind the arch.  He was joined in double figures by Kendall Webb with 16 and DeJuan Davis with 12.  Nate Bridges led all rebounders with nine boards, and Webb handed out a team-high four assists.

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PIONEER SQUEAK OUT A WIN

The Pioneers fought back from a six point halftime deficit to defeat Northwestern Oklahoma State, 58-56, Saturday in Alva, OK.  Kendall Webb had 15 points to lead the WBU men, while Clifton Clarida contributed 12 and Nate Bridges put in 11.  Bridges and Danny Storey had nine rebounds each to lead the Pioneers, which improved to 15-6 and 9-3 in conference play.  NWOSU is now 13-9 and 4-7.

Wayland was up by three with 11 seconds left when Clarida hit one of two free throws to make it a two possession game.  The Rangers hit a basket at the buzzer to draw to give the Pioneers the two-point victory.

WBU continued its road shooting woes, hitting just 39.6 percent of its shots from the field, and just 31.6 percent from behind the arch.

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USAO UPSETS PIONEERS

The Drovers from USAO took advantage of poor second half shooting by the Pioneers to pull off a 75-70 upset in Chickasha, Okla. 

WBU had an eight point lead at the intermission, 42-34, but hit only 28 percent of their shots from the field in the final 20 minutes to fall to 8-3 in Sooner Athletic Conference play. The Pioneers trailed by nine early in the game, but put together a 15-0 run to take a six point lead with 5:12 left in the half.

USAO opened the final period by scoring the first eight points to tie the game up at 42.  Wayland put in five straight to regain the edge, but a three-pointer by Marcus Hines gave the Drovers a 54-53 advantage.  Kendall Webb hit two free throws with 5:30 on the clock to tie the score back up at 60, then back-to-back three-pointers by DeJuan Davis and Webb put the Pioneers back on top by six.USAO battled back to take a 71-70 lead with 1:43 left on a dunk by J.J. Walsh.  Down 73-70, Webb and Davis both missed three-pointers, and free throws down the stretch by the Drovers sealed the win.

Webb had 20 points to lead the Pioneers, who are now 14-6 on the season.  Davis contributed 17 points, and had a game-high nine boards.  Hines led all scorers with 29 points USAO, which improved to 5-5 in conference play and 9-11 on the season.

The loss drops Wayland into a tie for third place in the SAC with John Brown.

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MEN GET BACK ON WINNING TRACK

The Pioneers rebounded from their second loss of the conference season with an 87-71 win against St. Gregory's.  Kendall Webb had a game-high 29 points to lead the WBU men to their 13th win of the season.

Freshman Michal Polanowski scored the game's first two points on a short jumper inside for the Pioneers.  The Cavaliers came back to take the lead, but Webb, who had the hot-hand early, hit three straight threes to put Wayland on top 15-11, but that lead didn't last long either.  In all, there were eight ties and 11 lead changes in the first 20 minutes, and the half ended with St. Greg's on top, 41-40.

SGU opened the second period with a bucket, but DeJuan Davis tied it up with a three.  There was just one other tie in the second half before the Pioneers took the lead for good when Pedro Montano found Danny Storey inside for a short jumper that made it 54-52 with 11:19 remaining in the game.

Clifton Clarida contributed 13 and DeJuan Davis added 11 to round out the Pioneers scoring in double-digits.  Nate Bridges had a game-high nine rebounds and six steals, while Clarida and Bridges handed out three assists a piece.

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PIONEERS FALL TO RED-HOT OCU

DeJuan Davis and Nate Bridges had 18 points a piece, but it wasn't enough, as the 11th-ranked Pioneers fell to #17 Oklahoma City University, 85-70.  The WBU men hit just four three-point attempts in the game, (one in the second half) and could not catch up to the hot-shooting Stars.  OCU was 10 of 20 from behind the arch for the game and hit 58 percent of their field goal attempts. 

The Pioneers took an early lead when Kendall Webb nailed a three-pointer to open the game, but the Stars scored the next two baskets and never looked back.  OCU won the battle in the paint, outscoring Wayland 36-24 and converted 16 second chance points, as opposed to just nine by the Pioneers.  WBU also turned the ball over an uncharacteristic 19 times which resulted in 24 OCU points.

The battle of the boards was won by the Pioneers, 35-28.  Bridges recorded his third double-double of the season, grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds to go with his 18 points.  Webb was the only other Pioneer in double digits with 12 points.  Lorenzo Gordon led the Stars with 27 points, while newcomer Rory Green put up 17.

The Pioneers, 12-5 and 6-2, take on St. Gregory's University, 7-13 and 1-7, at home on Saturday.

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KENDALL WEBB NAMED SAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Pioneer Kendall Webb has been named Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 16-22.  The 5'10 junior guard from Amarillo scored with three seconds left to lift the Pioneers over 17th-ranked Oklahoma Christian on Saturday, the second straight week he has put up a shot to beat a nationally-ranked opponent.  He averaged 23 points, 4.5 rebounds and three assists in the wins over Southern Nazarene and OC.

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PIONEERS RETURN FROM ROAD TRIP WITH TWO WINS

With the scored tied at 55, Pioneer guard Kendall Webb took the inbounds pass and drove the length of the court, hitting a lay-up with 3.7 seconds remaining to give the Pioneers a 57-55 victory over #17 Oklahoma Christian University.  It was the second straight Saturday for Webb to hit a game-winner with just seconds remaining to give his team a win over a nationally ranked opponent. A week ago, he hit a lay-up shot with just 1.35 seconds left to give WBU a two-point victory over 4th-ranked Oklahoma Baptist.

The Pioneers trailed in the contest until Webb hit a long three-pointer midway through the second half to put the WBU men on top 46-45.  DeJuan Davis hit his only three of the afternoon on the next possession to extend the lead to three.  The Pioneers got their largest lead, 53-47, with just over five minutes to play when Danny Storey put back a missed shot by Webb.

The Eagles came back to tie the game at 55 with under a minute left.  After a succession of Pioneer misses, OC had possession of the ball and a chance to take the lead, but a turnover gave WBU the ball.  After a Wayland timeout, Webb took the inbounds pass the length of the court for the lay-up.  Oklahoma Christian had one last opportunity, but a long three-pointer missed.

Webb led all scorers with 19 points, while Michal Polanowski had a career high 11.  Danny Storey came off the bench to haul down a team-leading seven rebounds.  OC held the Pioneers to just 36 percent shooting, 31 percent from beyond the arch, but could put in only one of ten long distance shots themselves. Keith Harris and Brady Page led the Eagles in scoring with 14 and 10 points respectively. 

The Pioneers (12-4) remain atop the conference standings with a 6-1 record, while Oklahoma Christian (14-4) falls to 4-3. On Thursday, Webb put in 27 points to lead the Pioneers to a 66-60 victory over Southern Nazarene.  Nate Bridges scored 13 and Clifton Clarida added 11.

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LAST SECOND SHOT GIVES PIONEERS WIN OVER UNBEATEN OBU

Kendall Webb hit a driving lay-up with 1.35 seconds left on the clock to give the Pioneers an 88-86 win over previously unbeaten and 4th-ranked Oklahoma Baptist University.  The WBU men have won six of the last seven meetings with the Bison.

OBU led by as many as 11 points in the first half and were up by 10 with 5:29 left, but Clifton Clarida hit a three-pointer to give the Pioneers a 35-34 lead with just over two minutes remaining.  That was only the second of what eventually become 30 lead changes in the game.

Neither team could extend a lead beyond four points in the second half.  Pioneer junior forward Pedro Montano hit a jumper with 1:42 left to give WBU an 84-80 lead, but OBU's Julius Hurd converted a three-point play with 1:20 to cut the lead to one.Webb scored on a lay-up with 63 seconds remaining for a three-point margin, but Bison guard Kortney Smith went the length of the court for a quick lay-in to make it 86-85.  The Pioneers failed to score on their next possession, giving the OBU a chance to take the lead.

Bison senior forward Frank Benson was fouled with 13 seconds left, but missed the second of two free throws, leaving the game tied at 86.  Pioneer Michal Polanowski grabbed the rebound and Webb dribbled in front of the Wayland bench to call time out with 8.1 seconds on the clock.  That was the first of four consecutive timeouts called, before Webb took the inbounds pass, dribbled to the right side of the lane, and hit the lay-up.

The Pioneers hit 13 of 26 three-pointers in the game, led by Clarida with five and DeJuan Davis with four.  Davis got a team-high 18 points, followed by Nate Bridges with 17, Clarida with 15 and Webb with 12.  Danny Storey grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the team, while Montano pulled down 10 boards.  Webb recorded his first double-double of the season with 12 assists.

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PIONEERS FALL TO JOHN BROWN

Defending NAIA Champion John Brown University came into Hutcherson Center on Thursday night and hit nine of their first 11 three-pointers then never looked back as the Golden Eagles defeated WBU 91-70.  The Pioneers entered the game with a 9-3 record and were tied for first in the Sooner Athletic Conference at 3-0, while JBU was just 6-8 overall and 1-2 in SAC play.

The Pioneers trailed 52-29 at the half, shooting just 42 percent from the field and 29 percent from long range, while the Golden Eagles were hitting 70 percent from the field and 82 percent from behind the arch.  JBU cooled off some in the second half, and back-to-back three-pointers by Clifton Clarida and four in a row by Kendall Webb closed the gap to 12 with 9:50 left to play.  The Pioneers were unable to get any closer, though, and John Brown extended the margin once again.

Webb led the WBU men with 18 points, while Clarida contributed 17.  DeJuan Davis won the battle of the boards for the Pioneers with five, and Danny Storey had a team-high five assists.  JBU was led in scoring by Adam Workman with 20, Brandon Cole with 17 and Joel Tesis with 14.

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WEBB TIES CAREER HIGH IN WIN OVER OCU

Junior guard Kendall Webb scored 30 points to lead the Pioneers to an 84-76 win over Oklahoma City University on Saturday afternoon.  Webb's output ties a career high that he set last year in an overtime win at Oklahoma Baptist.  The #23 WBU men improved to 9-3 on the year and are undefeated in Sooner Athletic Conference play with a 3-0 record.

The Pioneers, who had a 36-31 halftime lead, shot 59 percent from the field in the second half to seal the victory, but were just 17-of-35 (48.6%) from the free throw line.

Clifton Clarida, a senior guard, contributed 18 points and six assists, while DeJuan Davis put in 15.  Pedro Montano had a team-high eight rebounds.  Webb hit 5-of-10 shots from beyond the arch, Clarida put in 2-of-4 long distance shots, and Davis was 3-of-7.

Oklahoma City was led by Lorenzo Gordon's 27 points and 18 rebounds and Dawud Drew who had 20 points and 11 boards.  OCU fell to 8-6 on the year and 2-1 in SAC play.

Next up for the Pioneers is a meeting at home against defending NAIA champion John Brown University on Thursday.

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PIONEERS OVERCOME SHOOTING WOES TO GET SECOND SAC WIN

The Pioneers captured their second Sooner Athletic Conference win of the season by defeating St. Gregory's University 55-53 in Shawnee, OK.  The WBU men shot just 32.6 percent from the field, including 18.2 percent from behind the arch, but put in 21 free throws to get their fifth win in a row.

Sophomore post Danny Storey sank 8 of his 14 free throw attempts and put in 2-of-3 from the field to lead Wayland with 12 points.  Kendall Webb, a junior, also had 12, while senior Clifton Clarida put in 10 points.  Freshman Michal Polanowski came off the bench to grab a team-high six rebounds and Kris Hatley handed out five assists.

The Pioneers trailed at halftime 31-25 after failing to connect on any of their seven shots from the three-point range in the first 20 minutes, but outscored the Cavaliers 30-22 in the second half for the victory. Only one Cavalier managed to hit double figures in scoring.  Freshman Ernie Anderson came off the bench to put in 13 points.  SGU fell to 6-8 on the season and 0-2 in conference play, while the Pioneers improved their record to 8-3 and 2-0 in the SAC. 

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WEBB GETS 1,000TH CAREER POINT IN PIONEER VICTORY

Junior guard Kendall Webb became the 34th player in Pioneer basketball history to hit the 1,000th point mark in his career in WBU's 68-63 conference win over Lubbock Christian.  Webb had a game high 24 points in the Pioneer's first win over arch-rival LCU since the 2003-04 season.  Nate Bridges added 13 to give the WBU men their fifth win of the year.

The Pioneers jumped out to a 35-22 halftime lead, then increased the margin to 16 when Kris Hatley knocked down his only three points of the game at the 9:39 mark.  The Chaps scored 15 of the next 18 points to close the gap to one, 59-58, with three-and-a-half minutes remaining.  WBU freshman Lee Berend hit two free throws to put the Pioneers back up by three, then fellow freshman Michal Polanowski took over, getting a block, a steal and putting in the final seven WBU points of the game.

LCU had four players to hit the double-figure mark, led by Lance Boxell who was a perfect 5-for-5 from behind the arc on his way to a team-high 19 points.  Dustin Patterson put in 13 and Max Eding and Blake Huggins added 11 points each.Sophomore Danny Storey led the Pioneers in rebounds with nine, while DeJuan Davis and Kris Hatley had four assists each.  The WBU men will take a break before returning to the court on Dec. 30 in the LCU Classic.

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GAME AGAINST FAULKNER CANCELLED

The Pioneer trip to the Fun in the Sun Shootout in DeCarmen, Mexico has been cancelled.  Plans to reschedule the game against Faulkner have also been scratched, so the WBU men will be off until the LCU Classic on Dec. 30-31.

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BRIDGES NAMED SAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Pioneer Nate Bridges has been named Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Week for his efforts in the Plainview Lion's Pioneer Classic last weekend at Hutcherson Center.  The 6'6 senior forward from Levelland averaged 12.5 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, 3.5 blocks and 3.5 steals in the two games against Robert Morris College and Trevecca Nazarene University.

He had 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists and four blocks in the 95-92 overtime loss to #4 Robert Morris on Friday, then followed that up on Saturday with 14 points, a career-high 19 rebounds, three blocks and six steals in WBU's 77-59 win against previously unbeaten Trevecca Nazarene.

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MEN GET REVENGE ON TREVECCA NAZARENE

The Pioneers fought back from a three-point halftime deficit to defeat Trevecca Nazarene by a score of 77-59 in their final game of the Plainview Lion's Pioneer Classic.  The win avenges a 97-70 loss suffered at the hands of the Trojans on their home court back on Nov. 12.  The loss is TNU's first of the season (7-1).

Senior forward Nate Bridges had a career night with 14 points, 19 rebounds, three blocks and six steals, despite missing the final six minutes of the first half after he received an elbow that produced a deep cut over his left eye.   Thirteen of Bridges's career high 19 rebounds and 10 of his points came during the second half when he was forced to play with a butterfly bandage over his eye, and frequent stops to the bench to wipe away blood leaking from the bandage.

Kendall Webb led all scorers on the night with 20 points, while DeJuan Davis added 11.  Webb also handed out a game-high seven assists.

The game was tight throughout the first half, with neither team jumping ahead by more than five points.  In the final 20 minutes, the WBU defense held the Trojans without a field goal until the 7:57 mark and the Pioneers were able to pull out to a 20 point lead.

Neither team shot the ball particularly well in the game, with the Pioneers shooting just 42.6 percent and Trevecca Nazarene putting in just 35.7 percent of their shots, including a paltry 18.5 percent (5-of-27) in the second half.

The Pioneers (4-3) are now off until Dec. 15 when they open Sooner Athletic Conference play at home against Lubbock Christian University.

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PIONEERS FALL TO #4 ROBERT MORRIS IN OVERTIME

It took a miracle long distance shot at the end of regulation by tiny 5'9 senior guard Tony Cole of Robert Morris College over the fully outstretched arms of Pioneer 6'10 freshman post Michal Polanowksi to send the game into overtime, but the fourth-ranked Eagles kept their undefeated season intact with a 95-92 victory over the Pioneers in the Plainview Lion's Pioneer Classic held in Hutcherson Center.

In an exciting, tension-packed game that saw the Pioneers jump out to an 11 point first half lead, then fight back from a 13 point second half deficit, that featured six ties and 10 lead changes, the difference in the game came down to the inability of the WBU men to put the ball in the basketball during the overtime period.  The Pioneers scored just one field goal in 12 attempts during the extra five minutes, after putting in 20 of their 29 shots in the second half, including 5-of-7 from behind the arc.  

Cole led all scorers in the game with 29 points, while Reggie George, a 6'10 center, put in 24 points and hauled down 11 rebounds.  The Pioneers were led by Kendall Webb with 25 points and five assists.  DeJuan Davis, who saw his first action of the season since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in October, put in 19, and Clifton Clarida contributed 12.  Clarida and Polanowski were the WBU rebounding leaders with eight boards each.The Pioneers are now 3-3 on the season.  Robert Morris improves to 10-0.

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WEBB NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Junior guard Kendall Webb was named to the Carroll College Classic's All-Tournament team following the Pioneer's 80-72 loss to host Carroll College on Saturday.  Webb scored 22 points in the classic's final game.

The WBU men are now 3-2 on the season and are off until December 2 when they host the annual Lion's/Pioneer Classic.

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WBU MEN CONTINUE HOT SHOOTING

HELENA - Wayland Baptist put five players in double figures, and hit 50 percent from 3-point range to knock off Rocky Mountain College, 85-78, Friday night in men's basketball in the opening game of the Kiwanis Thanksgiving Classic.

Clifton Clarida led Wayland Baptist with 19 points. Pedro Montano came off the bench to add 15 points (5 of 5 from the field, including 2 of 2 from behind the arc), while Kris Hatley and Kendall Webb had 14 points each.

Danny Storey, who had 13 points, did not miss a shot all night, hitting a perfect 6 of 6 from the field and knocking down his only free throw attempt. Storey and Nate Bridges were the rebounding leaders with five boards a piece, and Hatley led the team in assists with six.

The Pioneers, which led by only two (39-37) at halftime, shot a sizzling 61 percent (17 of 28) from the field over the final 20 minutes.

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PIONEERS WIN HOME OPENER

Five Pioneers hit the double-figure mark in a 102-66 home win over Huston-Tillotson University.  Kendall Webb hit 6-of-8 shots from behind the arch and was a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line to lead all scorers with 27 points.  Clifton Clarida added 16, Kris Hatley came off the bench for 12, and Nate Bridges and Lee Berend contributed 11 points each.

The Pioneers enjoyed being on their home court for the first time this season, hitting 54 percent of their shots from the field, including an amazing 60 percent from the three-point line.  WBU out-rebounded the Rams 45-28 with Danny Storey pulling down 10 boards.  The rebounding margin allowed the Pioneers to put in 25 second chance points, while HTU could manage only nine.

Wayland improves to 2-1 on the season.

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2005-06 PIONEER PREVIEW

One year ago, Wayland Baptist Pioneer basketball coach Todd Thurman was looking at a team with just two returning players. Despite the lack of experience, that team started off winning nine straight games and 10 of its first 11. Things eventually fell apart for the Pioneers and the team failed to qualify for the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament for the first time in four years.

“Last year, we had a bunch of new faces and it was a new experience for those guys to face the kind of competition that our conference provides every night,” explains Thurman. “That entire group is back, and now they have that experience. Everyone really worked hard during the spring to refocus. They have more confidence in themselves and a better feel for each other and the competition that they will face.”

The Pioneers will be led by seniors Nate Bridges, DeJuan Davis and Clifton Clarida. Bridges, a 6’6 Honorable Mention All-Conference selection who is in his third year at Wayland, led the team in rebounding (8.5/g), blocked shots (2.4/g) and steals (2.2/g) last year, while averaging 11.5 points per game. The SAC’s Newcomer of the Year in 2005, Davis led the Pioneers in scoring (17.0/g) and put down a team-high 92 three-pointers. The 6'3 guard recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, and the Pioneers will be without his services until sometime in December. Clarida, a 6’2 junior college transfer from Arizona, was third in both scoring (12.2/g) and rebounding (4.2/g).

Junior Kendall Webb and sophomore Danny Storey are the other two returning starters from last season’s team. Webb, a 5’10 guard, led the team in assists (5.4/g) and was second in scoring (15.8/g). Storey, the 6’7 big man underneath, put in a team-high 61 percent of his shots, averaging almost nine points a game. He was second in rebounds with 7.3 boards a contest.

Other returning players for the Pioneers are 6’7 junior forward Pedro Montano and 5’9 guard Kris Hatley. Montano played in all 29 games last year, averaging just over five points and three rebounds in almost 17 minutes of playing time each game. As a freshman, Hatley led the team in three-point shooting percentage, nailing 48 percent of his shots from behind the arch.

Two red-shirt freshmen are also back to join the Pioneers for the first time in game situations: Ryan Ocheskey, a 6’6 post, and Michal Polanowski. Polanowski is a 6’10 native of Poland who suffered a severe knee injury in a preseason scrimmage last October and was lost for the year. He has now fully recuperated from surgery and will give WBU a new look.

“If we can keep him healthy, Michael is a definite defensive presence, and he gives us more height on the front line,” says Thurman.

With his entire team returning, Thurman signed just one freshman recruit in the off-season. Guard Lee Berend of Graham was a first team All-State selection in 2004-05 at Graham High. The 6’3 two-time District 5-3A Player of the Year is a pure shooter who Thurman says is one of the most fundamentally sound players that he has ever coached. Also joining the Pioneers is freshman Tyler Roye, a 6’1 walk-on from Lubbock’s Coronado High School.

Thurman believes that a soft early schedule last year did not fully prepare his team for the rugged Sooner Athletic Conference schedule. With that in mind, the Pioneer head man went out and put together a pre-conference schedule that he says may be the toughest in the country.

“Our non-conference schedule is rugged,” says Thurman, “but we need to be challenged. We’ll play both Robert Morris and Carroll College early on and they both made it to the final four last year. Trevecca Nazarene is on the schedule twice and they are always in the top ten. We’ve also got an exhibition game against a Division I school, Montana State University. This year we’ll definitely be better prepared when the conference season rolls around.”

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