By Ben Everett | Sports Editor
Baylor basketball defeated Oklahoma State 73-69 Monday night in Stillwater, Okla., behind a career-high 29 points from senior guard King McClure.
McClure shot 9-for-14 from the field and 7-for-11 from 3-point range. The Bears (10-6, 2-2) knocked down a season-high 15 3-pointers on 60 percent shooting.
Freshman guard Jared Butler chipped in 16 points and four 3-pointers while senior guard Makai Mason scored 13 points, including the final four points for the Bears.
With sophomore forward Tristan Clark out for the season, sophomore forward Mark Vital made his second straight start at center. Vital stuffed the stat sheet with five points, 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals.
The Bears jumped ahead early thanks to hot shooting from McClure. The Cowboys responded, and took a 24-16 lead after back-to-back jumpers from senior guard Curtis Jones.
Baylor embarked on a 21-8 run, draining shot-after-shot from beyond the arc. An and-one by Vital capped off a high-scoring first half for the Bears, as they took a 40-35 lead into the break.
At halftime, McClure led all scorers with 20 points on 6-for-7 shooting from 3-point range. The Bears finished the half 11-for-14 on 3-pointers while the Cowboys shot 6-for-13.
Oklahoma State started the second half on a 9-2 run, with all of their points coming from 3-pointers. Down 60-54, the Bears stormed back to take a 64-61 lead with five minutes remaining behind strong zone defense with junior forward Freddie Gillespie playing center.
Down 67-64 with a minute and a half remaining, the Cowboys called a timeout. Jones drove the lane for layup to cut it to one. McClure went to the line for two free throws on the next possession, and knocked down both to give him a career-high and put the Bears up three.
After Oklahoma State missed two free throws, Baylor senior guard Makai Mason drained a jumper to put the Bears up by five with just eight seconds left. The Cowboys responded with a 3-pointer, but Mason iced the game at the free throw line to seal the 73-69 win.
The Bears return home to face No. 8 Texas Tech at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Ferrell Center.
