Men Rally to Upset No. 13 WBU

It seemed fitting that Marcus Hines put the game out of reach with two free throws Thursday night as the University of Science and Arts knocked off No. 13 Wayland Baptist 75-70 at the USAO Fieldhouse.

Hines, recently dethroned as the team’s leading scorer, lit up the gym and the Pioneer defense for 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting including five three pointers. And his two free throws with four seconds remaining put the Drovers up two buckets essentially ending WBU’s chances.

Led by Hines’ sharp-shooting, USAO knocked off a ranked team for the third time this season and jumped back into the Sooner Athletic Conference race. Improving to 9-11 overall and 5-5 in the SAC can only help the team’s chances to earn a bid to the national tournament as well.

Hines sparked the Drovers from the tip scoring five of the team’s first seven points as USAO jumped out to an 11-3 lead. Another Hines three-pointer at the 10:28 mark pushed USAO’s first-half lead to 24-15, but the SAC’s second-place team began to flex its muscles.

Over the next five minutes, WBU put together a 15-0 run to take a 30-24 lead and eventually lead 42-34 at the half.

USAO roared out of the locker room as Hines knocked down two buckets to start an 8-0 USAO run to tie the score with 16:40 left. WBU answered by running their lead to 66-60 over the next 12 minutes.

Buckets by Hines, Jose Nava and J.J. Walsh gave USAO a 69-68 lead with 3:10 left. And Walsh’s emphatic dunk off an Avery Stevenson rebound and outlet with 1:43 left gave the home team the only cushion they would need. The Drover defense held the Pioneers scoreless over the final 2:51.

Nava finished the game with 14 points and eight rebounds hitting 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 from the line. Until the final minute of the game, the senior had seven of USAO’s nine total free throw attempts.

The Drovers continue a four-game home stand Saturday afternoon against Lubbock Christian. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the USAO Fieldhouse.

###