The Baylor men’s basketball team fell to No. 4 in the Big 12 standings after an 82-72 loss to the No. 2 nationally-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday, ending their undefeated streak at home.
“From three, they made some tough ones; they made some open ones, and we didn’t do a good enough job contesting. They won the game, and I’m disappointed we didn’t have better showing.” – Baylor head coach Scott Drew
The Bears (15-4, 5-2) came out of the gates strong, looking to match the Sooners, who at the time ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Oklahoma senior point guard Buddy Hield demonstrated why the Sooners were at the top of the polls and why he is considered the best college basketball player in the country right now.
“Guys stepped up and made plays. That’s what you expect from guys like Jordan [Woodard] and Isaiah [Cousins]. They’ve been in the gym a lot, and they’ve made a lot of shots. I was happy, ask anybody; I was celebrating more than anybody on the bench.” – Oklahoma senior guard Buddy Hield
While the Bears kept things close in the first half, they were unable to match the showing in the second half from the Sooners. Both teams had four players scoring in double figures, but in the end, the Bears were unable to find a way to stop the Sooners’ devastating three-point shooting.
Overall, the Bears were ineffective in stopping the Sooners’ offense, senior forward Taurean Prince said.
“In terms of developing a strategy, it’s not hard at all to contain. Like I said earlier, we just did a bad job of being where we needed to be at the right time. Ish and I broke down a couple of times and so did Al Freeman in certain situations. As players, we have to know where to be, and that was our fault.” – Baylor senior forward Taurean Prince
Sophomore forward Jonathan Motley came up big for the Bears off the bench once again. Scoring 15 points and capturing 10 rebounds, Motley recorded his third double-double of the season and fourth of his career.
“Very disappointing, especially when it’s things that we can control. It really sucks when you have a chance to control it and don’t.” – Sophomore Forward Jonathan Motley
The Sooners (16-2, 5-2) took the top spot in the Big 12 with the win, but fell to No. 2 nationally after losing to Iowa State earlier in the week.
While the Bears hoped to make history and overpass their home win streak record of 15, the Bears now have more important things to focus on, like moving forward and being prepared for the their next test.
“That’s the good things about the Big 12. Each game exposes things you need to work on.” – Baylor head coach Scott Drew
Eleven conference games still remain, giving the Bears hope to regain the No. 1 spot in the Big 12 and move up in the national rankings.
The Bears look to get back on track on the road at 8 p.m. Wednesday against Oklahoma State (10-8, 2-4).
