By Foster Nicholas | Sports Writer, Braden Murray | LTVN Sports Director
In the annual “Immortal Ten” game, No. 15 Baylor men’s basketball fought for a win in overtime for the third time this season. While the Bears traded blows with TCU, the Horned Frogs landed the final strike and handed Baylor its first loss in the Foster Pavilion — this one in triple overtime — on Saturday.
Bears head coach Scott Drew walked into the media room more sullen than normal. Baylor is now on a three-game losing streak after opening Big 12 play 3-0.
“Well, three buzzer-beaters in a row really puts you in a great mood,” Drew said. “So, first I want to apologize to the Baylor fans because that’s tough to cheer for a team three straight times and lose. It’s harder to coach it.”
LTVN’s Braden Murray brings you courtside for the heartbreaking thriller
“I know our players feel like crap. [We] worked really hard to try to be better in game-ending situations, I think we’ve shown some improvement.”
Scott Drew talked postgame about what needs to change if #Baylor can win close games moving forward after three-straight games go down to the wire.
"We've got a talented team but…sometimes you have to get burned to learn… to have close losses, that's hard." #SicEm pic.twitter.com/ACQ7zal6t5
— Parker Rehm (@parker_rehm) January 28, 2024
Baylor (14-5, 3-3 Big 12) held a lead as big as 10 halfway through the second quarter and owned multiple two-possession advantages in overtime.
“So many close plays that lead to winning or losing, I know it just takes a spark to start fire and we’re at that point,” Drew said. “We need to get a win and get some confidence going.”
The Bears more late leads squander away — something they saw happen in two games prior at Kansas State and Texas. When asked about his message to the locker room postgame, Drew kept it short.
“I think we’re tired of losing one-possession games.”
Four different Bears finished in double figures but freshman forward Yves Missi led the way with a career-high 25 points. Missi was 10-of-14 shooting from the floor and added nine rebounds to his line. His previous high was 16 against Cornell and had found double digits just once in Big 12 play prior to Saturday.
“What I was really proud of [with] Yves, is when he first got here we asked him to get tougher,” Drew said. “And I mean, he had strep throat and pink eye yesterday and he played today, so hats off for him.”
Yves Missi with 14 points to lead all scorers as #Baylor takes a 40-35 lead over #TCU at the half. #SicEm
These two made the Foster Pavilion VERY. LOUD. pic.twitter.com/mWFcJUuiyS
— Parker Rehm (@parker_rehm) January 27, 2024
Senior guard RayJ Dennis, who played a team-high 50 minutes, finished with his second double-double of the year, consisting of 24 points and a game-high 10 assists. Dennis was 9-for-17 from the field and 22 of his points came in the final 35 minutes. Redshirt sophomore Langston Love also notched a double-double, the first of his career, with a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with 11 points off the bench.
Freshman forward Ja’Kobe Walter went just 2-of-12 from the floor, making the first shot of the game and the last shot in the first overtime. He finished with 15 points, nine of which came at the free-throw line, as well as seven rebounds and five assists.
Walter opened the scoring with a 3-pointer but TCU (15-5, 4-3 Big 12) found the first of 12 ties at the 14-minute mark at 7-7. The Bears broke that when Dennis threw a lob to sophomore forward Josh Ojianwuna, who sent it home with authority.
Missi controlled most of the first-half offense for Baylor as he finished with 14 points, all counting towards the team’s 22 points in the paint for the half. The Bears led 40-35 going into the break after only shooting 3-for-11 from 3-point range.
Baylor stayed ice cold from deep in the second half as it failed to make 1 of 4 attempts. TCU seniors guard Jameer Nelson Jr. and forward Emanuel Miller each made their presence felt. Miller landed 12 first-half points and finished with 21 on 8-of-16 shooting, while Nelson led all scores with 30 on 11-of-18 shooting with 26 of his tally marks coming after the first half.
“It felt like a March Madness game,” Miller said. “Every single possession you hear the intensity from the fans. You could see the sweat from the refs, you could just see the emotions pouring out on that court. It’s a triple-overtime game in January. That’s huge. January, it’s not even March yet. So just think about when March comes around.”
The Frogs trailed for the entire second half before hitting a 3-pointer with less than a minute on the clock to even the game at 76 a piece. With a chance to take the lead, Love missed a jumper and Miller missed a game-winning buzzer-beater and five more minutes were added to the clock.
Nelson gave the Horned Frogs their first lead since the middle of the first half just 15 seconds into the first overtime period with a deep 3-pointer. Down by as much as five in those five minutes, the Bears ended up with a chance to tie it.
Fans rose to their feet as Miller clanked a free throw to keep the game within one possession, 88-85, and Walter grabbed the rebound. Without a timeout, Baylor raced up the court and tried to find an open 3-pointer with nine seconds left.
Dennis swung it to Walter on the left wing, and he pump-faked to get a clean look. The Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year drilled the shot to tie the game at 88 apiece, sending the contest to double-overtime.
“I thought when Ja’Kobe hit the 3, we were really there,” Drew said. And after that, [we] just didn’t close it out.”
JA’KOBE WALTER SENDS IT TO DOUBLE OT 🥶
(via @BaylorMBB)
pic.twitter.com/XjdredhXID— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) January 27, 2024
The Bears couldn’t capitalize on the momentum as each team made just two field goals and two free throws apiece in the period, and separation never came. Baylor forced a shot clock violation with 18 seconds to go, but the Bears couldn’t line up a good shot as Dennis chucked up a step-back 3-point prayer that wasn’t answered.
“I thought we had that momentum going into the second overtime,” Dennis said. “We just have to capitalize off things like that. And when we get up five, six, eight points, we have to put games away.”
Baylor made two free throws and the first shot of the third overtime period and stormed to a 98-94 lead. Nelson and Miller combined for eight points to close out the third overtime and the Bears were searching for a bucket down 103-102 with 10 seconds to play.
Dennis stormed to the basket and his layup attempt was spiked into the corner near the Baylor bench. Walter corralled the miss but stepped out of bounds. With 1.4 seconds on the clock, Baylor was unable to force a turnover on the ensuing inbound and after a pair of TCU free throws, fell 105-102.
The Bears will take a one-game road trip and stop in Orlando for the first time to take on UCF (12-6, 3-3 Big 12). Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Addition Financial Arena.
