Plainview, Texas – The No. 8-seeded Oklahoma Panhandle State University men's basketball team delivered an upset of seismic proportions as it eliminated No. 1-seed – and the NAIA Division I No. 5-ranked team in the nation - Wayland Baptist University from the Sooner Athletic Conference post-season tournament, 76-67, in a quarterfinal game on the road. The Aggies (16-13) will advance to Friday's (March 1/6 p.m.) SAC semifinal game versus Oklahoma City University, in OKC.
 
If OPSU Head Coach Aaron Coombs' crew keeps up their role as "giant slayers," he may just have to issue them a sling and handful of rocks before each game. The Wayland win on Tuesday was the Aggies' sixth win over a team ranked in the NAIA top-25 poll.
 
Not a bad day's work for a Panhandle State team making its first conference post-season appearance since the 2005-06 campaign.
 
Early on the Pioneers had firm control of matters, leading by nine points in the first half – 24-15 – at the 9:18 juncture. But the Aggies' game plan of a suffocating defense allowed them to climb back in the game and trailing by just four at the half, 37-33. In the second half, WBU again built its lead to nine (49-40) with just over 11 minutes to be played.
 
Panhandle went on an 11-2 run over the next 3 ½ minutes to tie the game at 51-15 on a midrange jumper by Khallid Edwards. With 7:19 left in the game, Breiman Alexander uncorked a three-point basket that put the Aggies on top, 54-53, and gave them a lead they would not relinquish. A Baris Ulker trey put OPSU ahead by a dozen, 71-59, with 1:47 left and took the air out of any comeback hopes still held by the Pioneers.
 
The OPSU defense held the potent Pioneers offense more than 14 points below its season average of 81.2 points per game. It was a fact not lost in Coombs' post-game assessment.
 
"Our ball screen defense was the best it has been all year," Coombs recounted. "(The Team's success) really started on the defensive end tonight.
 
"But what I was most proud of was that we were down by nine points twice and we didn't waver. To our guys' credit, we stayed the course and we were able to overcome those runs by Wayland. This was a total team win.
 
"I told our guys before the game that we still have not played our best basketball of the season. But looking back after the game, I think we came pretty close tonight!"
 
Edwards finished the game with a game and season-high 24 points. Edwards was a solid 8-of-11 from the field, 3-for-4 from beyond the arc and hit 5-of-6 free throws. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished off a team-leading four assists.
 
Ulker was close behind Edwards with 23 points on a 9-for-14 shooting effort. Ulker was a key force on the defense side of the court, corralling five rebounds – all defensive – and blocking four shots.
 
Alexander was the Aggies third double-digit scorer with 16 points. Alexander also hauled in four rebounds and had a pair of assists.