By Jackson Posey | Sports Editor
Baylor came within minutes Tuesday of doing what no other unranked team has done: knock off No. 2 Arizona.
Instead, the Bears’ seven-point halftime lead dissolved, as the Wildcats rode dominant crunch-time rebounding and backcourt scoring to an 87-80 victory at Foster Pavilion.
“We’ve got to get over the hump,” head coach Scott Drew said. “Job not finished. No moral victories.”
The loss drops Baylor (14-14, 4-10 Big 12) back to .500 overall and 10-6 at Foster Pavilion, the most losses the Bears have sustained at home since 2004-05. Arizona (26–2, 13–2 Big 12), meanwhile, moves one step forward to securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament behind major contributions from guards Jaden Bradley (25 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 5-for-8 from deep) and Brayden Burries (24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists).
“I’d be lying if I said it was easy,” redshirt sophomore Cameron Carr said. “It’s hard. Mentally, it’s very challenging. Nobody likes losing, especially close games … It’s a little but frustrating, but you’ve got to keep a positive mindset about it because if you start thinking backwards or negative thoughts, it’s going to eat you alive.”
A pair of five-star Californian freshmen, Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou and Arizona’s Burries, headlined a matchup that drew more than 35 NBA scouts. Another star freshman, Koa Peat — who committed to the Wildcats over Baylor — was ultimately ruled out after being named a game-time decision.
“That’s just another day in the Big 12,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said of the depth of big-name talent. “I’m not a guy that counts how many scouts [are] there … I’m sure those scouts like good basketball, and I thought there’s a lot of good players on the court today that are going to probably play at their level in the near future. So hopefully those guys represented themselves well.”
Yessoufou (12 points, 4 rebounds) traded baskets with Bradley early, as Baylor built major momentum and took an early lead over the top-ranked team in the Big 12.
Carr (26 points, 11-for-19 shooting) and sophomore Isaac Williams IV (16 points, 5 assists) took the next shift for the Bears. The perimeter duo opened the game perfect from the field, cashing in a combined 14 points on 6-for-6 shooting (2-for-2 from deep). At the second media timeout, Baylor led 21-14.
“Isaac is so effective getting to the paint, and I think he’s really improved his ability to get to the paint and spray it around, get other guys shots,” Drew said. “He really competes, really coachable, extremely hardworking. Those are the guys that have really done well in our program.”
Arizona, meanwhile, struggled to make shots. The Wildcats started the game 5-for-13 from the field. Outside of Burries and Bradley, the latter of whom played a chunk of the first half with a nosebleed plug in his right nostril, the Wildcats’ offense scored six points in the first 16 minutes of play.
Continued defensive pressure, paired with several highlight-reel dunks from Carr and senior center Caden Powell, held the Bears’ lead steady around seven points. Senior forward Michael Rataj (7 points, 7 rebounds), who has struggled to convert shots this season, let out a roar after rebounding his own miss for an and-one putback. He finished the game with his best statline since January.
The Bears unraveled a bit at the end of the first half, missing three straight free-throws and failing to make a field goal in the final 3:23. The early burst was enough to hang on, though, and the Bears entered the break with a 41-34 lead.
The Wildcats blitzed to open the half, turning a game-best 14-2 run into a narrow advantage, their first since 10-8. Bradley and Motiejus Krivas, a 7-foot-2 center who was largely held silent in the first half, led the charge — and just like that, the lead evaporated.
Carr and Dan Skillings Jr., still wearing a knee brace after a multi-game absence, wouldn’t let it slip away that easily. Carr drained a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer off movement and scored again in transition, while Skillings worked the boards and put the Bears back on top with a pair of free throws.
The Bears repeatedly ran Carr off screens to get him the ball in motion. He found space alone in the right midrange for an easy jumper, then curled into the paint a possession later for a crowded finger-roll. He led all scorers with 15 second-half points.
“It was a great matchup, and I credit him for making tough plays,” Drew said.
Burries slammed a devastating poster dunk over Rataj; Carr tried to return serve at the other end but met Krivas at the rim.
Carr’s 7-foot-2 wingspan continued to play up on the offensive boards and on defense, where he blocked an Anthony Dell’Orso 3-pointer, but lights-out shooting shooting buoyed the Wildcats, who put together a 9-for-11 shooting streak late in the half.
On the other end, Powell attempted a 3-pointer from the top of the arc — his second of the season — which rimmed out. Baylor entered the final 1:13 trailing 80-77 after Williams went 1-of-2 at the free-throw line.
Another offensive rebound gave Arizona another extra possession, allowing the Wildcats to run the clock under 30 seconds. Burries sized up Carr at the top of the key — and drained it. Arizona lead, 82-78, with 24 seconds to play.
“We want to win, so we have to take care of the rebounding,” Drew said. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to rebound.”
Williams drew a blocking foul, sending him back to the free throw line with a chance to slim the lead. He missed the first half of a 1-and-1, and the ball ricocheted into the outstretched hands of Krivas. The Wildcats sank their free throws and escaped the upset, 87-80.
Tuesday’s loss drops the Bears to 13-1 in games they led at halftime. They will have three more opportunities to build their regular-season resume, beginning Saturday at UCF (19-7, 8-6 Big 12). Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on FS1.
