No. 11 Baylor will look for a bounce-back win by knocking off visiting Texas Tech for the second time in a little more than two weeks on Saturday in Waco, Texas.
The Bears (16-6, 5-4 Big 12) ended a six-game winning streak with a 76-71 loss at No. 10 Texas on Monday. Texas Tech (12-10, 1-8) upset No. 13 Iowa State in overtime 80-77 for its second straight win on Monday.
Baylor cut Texas’ nine-point lead midway through the second half to 72-71 following Keyonte George’s three-point play with 50 seconds to play. But Marcus Carr hit a jumper on Texas’ ensuing possession with 27 seconds left.
After George missed a 3-pointer, Sir’Jabari Rice sank two free throws with 15 seconds remaining to secure the win.
Baylor shot 36.8 percent from the field, including 30.8 percent (8 of 26) from 3-point range.
“We’re not getting the shots we want,” Baylor guard LJ Cryer said. “We want to get good, better, (but mostly) best (shots). Right now I guess we’re taking good shots instead of great shots, and sometimes they’re not even good shots. So, we just have to do a better job of getting into the paint and finding each other.”
Cryer, who averages 14.7 points per game, scored a team-high 19 points to go along with five rebounds. George, who averages a team-high 17.2 points per game, added 17 against the Longhorns.
Jalen Bridges, who averages 9.7 points per game, chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds against Texas. Adam Flagler, who averages 15.3 points per game, was held to 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting on Monday.
Unlike Baylor, Texas Tech was able to complete its rally in its last game.
The Red Raiders earned their first league win of the season by overcoming a 23-point deficit in the final 12:38 to force OT. Harmon’s free throw gave Texas Tech a 78-77 lead it wouldn’t relinquish with 42 seconds remaining.
After Iowa State’s Caleb Grill missed a 3-pointer, Kevin Obanor hit two free throws with 19 seconds to go to secure the win after the Cyclones missed two 3-point attempts on their final possession.
Obanor had 24 points and 13 rebounds against the Cyclones, giving him 2,022 points and 1,033 rebounds for his career. He joined Rick Bullock as the only Red Raiders to hit both of those marks during their time in Lubbock.
“To be able to be 0-8, and get beaten over and over again — a lot of teams would have folded,” Obanor said. “A lot of us have been getting heat, especially coach (Mark Adams). And a lot of people gave up on us at halftime, it was a beating.
“But, the secret is, the reason why coaches and scouts love seniors is because they’ve been around the block. They’ve been through adversity, they know how to win, they know how to go through trials and tribulations. That’s the recipe that we needed.”
Obanor averages a team-high 15.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while De’Vion Harmon averages 12.5 points and a team-high 3.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Jaylon Tyson chips in 9.5 points and 5.9 rebounds for the Red Raiders.
Baylor beat Texas Tech 81-74 on Jan. 17 in Lubbock behind George’s 27 points, while the Red Raiders were led by Tyson’s 19 points and 12 rebounds.
–Field Level Media
