Eric Overjoyed/Connected Press
No. 2 Baylor saved its undefeated plod alive and persevered to separate itself from the comfort of the Mountainous 12 by knocking off No. 6 Texas, 83-69, on the Frank Erwin Center on Tuesday.
The in-negate contention gave the Bears (17-0, 9-0 Mountainous 12) their fourth victory over a ranked workers this season after beforehand defeating No. 5 Illinois, No. 15 Texas Tech and No. 9 Kansas. Tuesday’s raise might perchance also just gift to be a season-defining victory for a program whose entirely raise to this point got right here in opposition to the Illini abet on Dec. 2.
With Illinois having since dropped to No. 12 in the rankings, the Texas game took on greater which procedure.
Baylor handled the stress with ease and built itself a 3.5-game lead for first position in the conference with eight video games to play.
Considerable Performers
Davion Mitchell, G, Baylor Bears: 27 aspects, 4 assists, 1 rebound, 5 three-pointers
Jared Butler, G, Baylor Bears: 21 aspects, 4 steals, 3 assists
Andrew Jones, G, Texas Longhorns: 25 aspects (profession high), 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Jericho Sims, F, Texas Longhorns: 10 aspects, 9 rebounds, 1 attend
Greg Brown Dunk Wakes Up Baylor
Perhaps if Greg Brown hadn’t been known as for a technical sinful the Baylor Bears trudge away Austin with their first lack of the season.
With 13: 18 to play, amid a stretch of play that seen Baylor and Texas swapping leads, Brown skied for arguably the dunk of the year and dropped two of the 5 aspects he’d make contributions on Tuesday. On the arrangement down from the rim, his glare caught the honour of the referees who T’d him up true because the score flipped to be taught 55-51, Bears.
The technical proved to be the turning point.
Jared Butler would carry out both free throws sooner than Davion Mitchell hit abet-to-abet layups to stretch Baylor’s lead abet to 10. Whatever momentum Brown’s dunk had swung against Texas, all of it went appropriate abet to the Bears after the following whistle.
With out reference to a profession efficiency from UT’s Andrew Jones (25 aspects), the Longhorns did now not indulge in ample secondary scoring suggestions down the stretch to spread out Baylor’s defense once the Bears rebuilt their lead.
No longer with Mitchell, Butler and MaCio Teague combining for 58 aspects.
Perhaps if Brown doesn’t net known as for a technical, that’s no longer the case. Baylor obtained’t be pondering twice about it.
Baylor’s Finest Season Rolls On
If there might be a workers able to ending Baylor’s undefeated plod, the Bears don’t appear to indulge in them at designate scheduled.
Tuesday might perchance also just indulge in confirmed to be the toughest test final on Baylor’s agenda. Having to face a No. 6-ranked Texas workers at streetlevel in a constructing allowing fans for the principle time in two months wouldn’t indulge in been an extraordinarily easy job.
The Bears made the final four minutes nearly unimaginative, even with the Longhorns reputedly in inserting distance.
Now or no longer it is unclear who might perchance also wretchedness Baylor—as a minimum as far because the Mountainous 12 is tantalizing.
This frail to be the wretchedness the league had with Kansas. It has shifted south to Waco in a single day and the conference is recalibrating on the hover, shopping for methods to interrupt via in opposition to head coach Scott Drew’s neighborhood of versatile guards.
Baylor aloof has to play street video games at No. 9 OU and No. 23 Kansas, nonetheless had zero field routing these capabilities earlier this year. Web hosting No. 13 Texas Tech might perchance also just be a field, nonetheless the Bears’ wingspan can shutdown iso avid gamers like Mac McClung.
House video games in opposition to Iowa Suppose and TCU increasing ought to now not be a field for Baylor, both.
It seems No. 17 West Virginia can indulge in the entirely opportunity to end Baylor’s trudge. The Mountaineers and Bears play a condominium-and-dwelling series that begins in Morgantown on Feb. 15 sooner than the 2 conflict but again in Texas on Feb. 18. On occasion ever does the Mountainous 12 agenda abet-to-abet video games in opposition to the identical opponent, nonetheless a beforehand postponed matchup in opposition to WVU in early January made it a necessity. Having two cracks at a high program in three days might perchance also just be all it takes for West Virginia coach Bob Huggins to stymie Drew’s offense.
No person else has been in a position to create so but. If no longer West Virginia, there might perchance also just no longer be an retort in any respect.
What’s Next
The Longhorns are abet in action on Saturday when they discuss with Oklahoma Suppose at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. Baylor will return dwelling for a Saturday matchup with TCU at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
