Travis Taylor | Lariat Photo Editor
By Shehan Jeyarajah
Sports Writer
Baylor had lost only one game to a team in the state of Texas since the beginning of the 2011-12 basketball season. That dominance would came to an end after No. 12 Baylor (13-3, 1-2) lost on Wednesday night to the unranked Texas Tech Red Raiders (9-8, 1-3) in Lubbock by a score of 82-72.
Texas Tech hit on its first five shots and eight of the first 11 to jump out to an immediate 17-8 lead. Baylor started off ice cold hitting five of the first 18 shots on the way to a 43-22 deficit at the half. The Bears shot 25.9 percent from the field and missed all eight of their three-point attempts in the half. The ball movement was lacking as Baylor did not record a single assist in the first half.
Tech forward Jaye Crocket torched Baylor for 14 points in the first half on 6-for-9 shooting from the field and 2-for-2 from the three-point line. As a team, Tech shot 62.1 percent from the field in the half and outrebounded the Bears 22-11 in the half.
Baylor fought back in the second half behind junior point guard Kenny Chery and sophomore forward Taurean Prince. The duo combined for 27 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the field in the half. Prince nailed three three-pointers in the half.
Baylor made a push with 11:41 left in the second half, down 60-39. The Bears responded with a 15-5 run over the next five minutes, capped off by a three-pointer from Prince with 6:35 remaining in the game.
Baylor fought, but would not be able to get within 10 points for the rest of the game. Baylor shot 52.8 percent in the second half and got above the forty percent mark for the game. The Bears recovered on the boards in the second half 18-13, but it was too little too late.
Sophomore center Isaiah Austin missed all six of his field goal attempts on the night and finished with only four points and two rebounds in 22 minutes. Chery finished with a career-high 22 points and Prince added 13 points.
Crockett finished with 19 points for Tech. Graduate student Dejan Kravic added 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Junior guard Robert Turner added 14 points and five rebounds on only eight shot attempts.
Baylor will return home at 1 p.m. on Saturday to play the Oklahoma Sooners at the Ferrell Center. The Bears will be holding a “Blackout” in support of the football team’s 2013 campaign. Fans are encouraged to wear black.
