By Gio Gennero | Sports Writer, Video by Pierson Luscy | Broadcast Reporter
No. 11 Baylor men’s basketball took care of business in its 89-62 win over Texas Tech University Saturday afternoon in the Ferrell Center. The Bears have won seven of their last eight, improving to 17-6 with a 6-4 Big 12 record.
“When you play a team like Baylor you have to try your best to stay close to them, they’re so good they’ll get away from you. Baylor is one of the best offensive teams in the country,” Texas Tech head coach Mark Adams said.
Forward Jalen Bridges led the way, as he dropped 18 points to go with eight rebounds. Senior guard Adam Flagler and freshman guard Keyonte George followed with 17 and 13 points, respectively. Flagler finished with a team-high eight assists and George grabbed five boards.
The Bears shot a scorching-hot 58.3% from the floor in the second half and 50% from beyond the arc. Baylor forced its opponent into 13 turnovers which it converted into 17 points. The team grabbed nine offensive rebounds — seven in the second half — converting that into nine second-chance points and helped with 36 points in the paint.
The Bears started out by knocking down a couple of threes to get things rocking in the third-straight sold-out home crowd.
Olivia Havre | Photographer
The moment energy started to die down after a media timeout, but the rumbling began again as redshirt senior forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua checked in for the green and gold for the first time in 357 days. From the moment he stepped foot on the court, he helped re-energize not only the team but the crowd.
“It was amazing to be able to play in front of this crowd again, it was surreal,” Tchamwa Tchatchoua said after the game. “I’ve been counting the days … I wasn’t supposed to be back this quick. All I can do is thank God.”
Just under halfway through the first, the Bears found themselves trailing by five points at 17-12. Despite strong efforts on the defensive end, Baylor couldn’t get things going on offense, as they went multiple stretches without a made field goal.
George took matters into the air, flying through the paint for a tough finish through contact, sending him to the line where he helped spark a 7-0 run to take a 19-17 lead. From here, Flagler fed off of this momentum and score seven-straight of the Bears’ points to keep them ahead.
With two minutes left to play, Tchamwa Tchatchoua hit from beyond the arc, sending the fans into a frenzy. After a quick defensive stop, Bridges dunked over multiple defenders to cap off a 7-0 run sending goosebumps through the Ferrell as energy was at an all-time high. The Bears led 38-34 at the break.
At the half, Flagler and George led the way with 10 points apiece and Flagler pitched in four assists. After starting four of 14 from the field, the Bears got comfortable and hit the next 10 of 15 shots and finished the half shooting near 50% at 14-29.
Baylor came out of the break locked in, kicking off an 8-2 run to extend its lead to 46-38. The defensive clinic on both ends continued as both teams went through scoring droughts without a made field goal. The feistiness of the Bears helped them grab offensive rebound after offensive rebound led to an advantage.
The Ferrell Center erupted once again as Baylor hit three-consecutive shots from three-point land. Using an 11-0 run to go up 25 points at 70-45 with eight minutes to play. The Bears continued their dominance throughout the remaining minutes of the second half pushing their lead as high as 30 points, winning the contest by 27 points.
Baylor now welcomes the University of Oklahoma to Waco for a home contest against the Sooners on Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. on ESPNU.
