PLAINVIEW, Texas — Wayland Baptist’s J.J. Culver became just the second player in NAIA history to score 100 points in the Pioneers 124-60 win over Southwestern Adventist University Tuesday night at Hutcherson Center.
Culver scored 51 of those points in the first half to break the school’s 63-year-old school record of 50 set by Roy Young during the 1955-56 season.
“I had a really good start to the game and I’ve had a couple of those,” Culver said. “From there I just kept going and then we announced I broke the school record in the first half. That’s when I knew it was a special night.”
The Coronado product entered the game needing 66 points to eclipse 1,500 points for his career, but that was just a side note on this historic night.
“Sixty-six turned into eighty-four and before you know it we knew he was close in the final minutes,” head coach Ty Harrelson said. “I didn’t want to be the coach that stopped somebody from getting 100 points. It’s a rarity in basketball anywhere in the world. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer, hardworking young man.”
Last year’s Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year and an NAIA First-Team All-American, made 34-of-62 field goals, and hit 12-of-33 3-pointers along with 20-of-27 free throws. In playing 38 minutes, he also recorded a game-highs for rebounds with nine, steals with five, and blocks with two. He was credited with one assist.
The Pioneers (8-1) return to action at 3 p.m. on Dec. 28 at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene.
