By Tyler Alley
Sports editor
Baylor men’s basketball continued to impress by defeating Jackson State 92-59 on Sunday at the Ferrell Center.
“A lot of unselfish play,” head coach Scott Drew said. “I though a lot of extra passes. Because of that, it led to some easy shots and some easy shot attempts. As long as we keep getting players with good looks, good things will happen.”
Freshman forward Quincy Miller led all scorers with 17 points and went 3-3 from 3-point range. The freshman continues to impress fans, teammates and even opposing coaches, as Jackson State head coach Tevester Anderson had some praise for Miller.
“He’s good. He’s really good,” Anderson said.
Redshirt sophomore Cory Jefferson scored 13 points and had nine rebounds, four offensive, in his second game since being redshirted.
“The main thing I focus on when I come in is rebounds and energy,” Jefferson said. “Just to help the team with that.”
The guards spread the ball well against Jackson State, with sophomore guard Brady Heslip, junior guard A.J. Walton and junior guard Pierre Jackson combining for 11 assists and only two turnovers, as well six steals.
Rather than relying on a big scoring run, Baylor slowly built their lead over the course of the game. The Bears’ length proved tough defensively for Jackson State, holding the Tigers to a field goal percentage of 30.2 and 35 percent from the 3-point line. Senior forward Quincy Acy said the Baylor team has used Darrelle Revis, the New York Jets cornerback, as an inspiration for their defense.
“That’s the tone we set in practice. We bring that in practice. Whenever we get a steal, someone will yell out, ‘Revis.’ It just makes playing defense fun. We carry it over to the games, take it out on other teams.”
Senior forward Anthony Jones scored 11 points and had five rebounds in the game. With a 3-point percentage of 20, Jones said he needed to work on other ways to score.
“Coming in, I know a lot of teams are going to expect me to shoot the 3,” Jones said. “That’s what I’ve been doing in the past. Over the summer, I’ve been working on my handles, trying to get to the rim more, finishing strong.”
Baylor (2-0) next plays against San Diego State at 1 p.m. on Tuesday at the Ferrell Center. The game will be shown on ESPN, as part of the network’s College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon. San Diego State earned a spot in the Sweet Sixteen during the NCAA tournament last March.
“We’re fortunate enough, administration lets us play on national TV, be a part of the first 24 hours of college hoops. I think any time you have a chance to show the nation what you’re about, what your school is about, I think it’s a positive. The more people we can could get here – if you’re gonna take a long lunch break, that’s the day to do it. If you’re running the business, and you want to give everybody the day off and come to the game, that’s great as well.”
