PLAINVIEW, Texas — Arkansas Baptist College battled through four quarters against Wayland Baptist University on Saturday, but the Buffaloes were unable to find the end zone in a 30-0 loss at Greg Sherwood Memorial Stadium.
Wayland Baptist (6-2, 5-1) built an early lead and used a balanced offensive attack to keep Arkansas Baptist (2-7, 2-4) at bay. The Pioneers scored twice in the first quarter and added 10 points in the second to take a 24-0 advantage into halftime.
Wayland opened the scoring with an 11-yard rushing drive highlighted by a 34-yard possession, capped by Topper Sterling's four-yard touchdown run with 11:08 remaining in the first quarter. The Pioneers extended their lead to 14-0 later in the quarter when quarterback Aidan Crawford connected with Ethan Palmer for a 13-yard touchdown pass.
The Pioneers struck again early in the second quarter. Crawford found Randall Russ for a 26-yard touchdown pass, pushing the margin to 21-0 just 54 seconds into the period. Wayland added a 22-yard field goal from Trent McLemore with 6:51 left in the half to establish the 24-point cushion.
Arkansas Baptist's defense worked to slow the Pioneers after halftime, holding Wayland scoreless in the third quarter. The Buffaloes also created opportunities with two interceptions, as Darreion Williams and Antonio Taylor Jr. each picked off a Crawford pass. Williams' interception came in the first quarter, while Taylor's takeaway in the third quarter stopped a Wayland drive inside the red zone.
However, the Buffaloes could not translate those defensive plays into points. Arkansas Baptist finished with 185 yards of total offense, including 140 passing yards and 45 rushing yards. The team also struggled to sustain drives, converting three of 16 third-down attempts and going 0-for-6 on fourth down.
Charles Coney completed nine of 17 passes for 76 yards, while Aaron Jacob Rowell added six completions for 64 yards. The two quarterbacks combined for 140 passing yards. Soloman Daughtery led the Buffaloes with four receptions for 52 yards, while Taylor Poole also caught four passes, finishing with 34 yards.
On the ground, Terrell Whethers led Arkansas Baptist with 23 rushing yards on nine carries. Kawann Johnson added 14 yards on seven attempts.
Wayland added the game's final touchdown early in the fourth quarter when Jaxson Percoats scored on an eight-yard run with 14:08 remaining. McLemore's extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the final score at 30-0.
The Pioneers finished with 383 total yards, including 169 rushing yards and 214 passing yards. Sterling led the rushing attack with 101 yards on 15 carries and one touchdown. Crawford completed 19 of 36 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, while Russ recorded four catches for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Despite the loss, Arkansas Baptist showed defensive playmaking ability with two interceptions and seven pass breakups. The Buffaloes will look to build on those efforts as they continue their conference schedule.
