By Jackson Posey | Sports Editor
Baylor dropped its fourth straight game on Tuesday night at Kansas State, 90-74, marking the third time the Bears have lost at least 10 conference games in the past 17 years.
Kansas State (10-16, 2-11 Big 12) opened the game with renewed focus after the firing of head coach Jerome Tang, a former Baylor assistant who was relieved of his duties on Sunday after a hapless start to the season. Matthew Driscoll, another former Baylor assistant who spent the past 16 years as the head man at North Florida, is leading the Wildcats in an interim capacity.
The loss drops Baylor (13-13, 3-10 Big 12) head coach Scott Drew to 3-7 all-time against his former assistants as head coaches.
The Wildcats led 17-8 at the 12-minute mark. Baylor missed its first five 3-pointers and struggled with turnovers, committing 10 in the first half, while the Kansas State continued to heat up from beyond the arc. The home team shot 5-for-11 on 3-pointers in the first half; Baylor was 1-for-12.
The Bears never found a rhythm early, turning the ball over seven times in the first 14 minutes. During a 4 1/2-minute scoreless stretch, the Bears missed three shots, turned the ball over thrice, then missed another jumper.
Kansas State’s lead vacillated between seven and 10 points for most of the half. The Wildcats scored first and never trailed.
The return of senior wing Dan Skillings Jr. represented a bright spot in a dim first half. The Cincinnati transfer, a game-time decision with a knee injury, finished with 11 points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes.
A manageable, seven-point halftime deficit offered distant hope for the Bears — and instantly disintegrated. Kansas State opened the second half on a 20-6 run, holding Baylor to one field goal in the first five minutes.
Trailing 64-44, freshman Tounde Yessoufou and sophomore Isaac Williams IV led the charge back into contention. An 11-2 Baylor run precipitated a back-and-forth pendulum which sent the game to triple zeroes.
The loss drops Baylor to 0-13 when not leading at halftime.
Baylor will look to right the ship against Arizona State (13-12, 4-8 Big 12) at 3 p.m. Saturday at Foster Pavilion. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
