By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Editor
Football is the sport that is at the center of homecoming weekend. Baylor men’s basketball took that to the hardwood, playing like a football defense.
The Bears put pressure on the passer and intercepted the ball throughout their Friday afternoon matchup against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Baylor (2-0) suffocated the Golden Lions (0-2) 109-53. Its 21 steals tied the program record when the Bears tallied the same number against Central Arkansas Nov. 17, 2021.
“We got a lot of guys that bought into being aggressive on the defensive end,” head coach Scott Drew said. “With depth, you can play hard and then sit down and someone else comes in and plays hard. So, you can wear people down.”
Junior guard Isaac Williams IV set his career-high 26 points, breaking his previous best of 23 last season against Arlington Baptist. He credits the team for helping create opportunities for him on offense.
“My teammates always looking for me,” Williams said. “They always tell me to be aggressive … I’m trying to let the game come to me.”
Both defenses ruled to start the Friday matinee matchup. Neither squad made a field goal for the first two and a half minutes until freshman guard Dylan Mingo intercepted a pass and lobbed it to sophomore guard Kayden Mingo down court.
There were three total blocks and four Bears’ steals in that time span.
“If we just start the game off aggressive on defense, I think the sky’s the limit,” Williams said. “That’s our calling card.”
The Mingos and Williams led the struggling Baylor offense. The trio combined for 15 of the Bears’ first 21 points through the opening 10 minutes, while the rest of the team shot 1-for-10.
They picked it up on the other end. Baylor’s defense was a no-fly zone throughout the first half. The Bears recorded 14 steals off multiple intercepted passes. Dylan Mingo and Williams paced the team with four.
“[Mingo’s] a tough dude to beat in steals,” Williams said.
The pair totaled 11 steals with Mingo leading the way with six after putting up four steals in the season opener against Northwestern State.
The aggressive defense turned to quick-tempo offense for Baylor. It scored 27 points off turnovers and 14 on the fast break. The Bears energized the Foster Pavilion crowd, slamming seven dunks.
“It definitely gives you energy, definitely feeds you,” Drew said. “That energy really allows you to get after it defensively, and I think we showed and responded with a really good defensive effort.”
The Golden Lions strained to get shots off, and when they did, a Baylor defender put pressure on it. They didn’t reach double digits until almost 16 minutes into the game. UAPB made five of its 25 shots going into halftime to give the Bears a commanding 58-13 lead.
The Golden Lions came out of the half working down low on offense. They put up 8 points through the first six minutes with 6 coming from inside the paint. UAPB also surpassed its first half total eight minutes into the second to make it a 76-27 game.
The Bears continued to struggle from beyond the arc throughout the game. They shot 3-for-18 through the first 20 minutes and didn’t connect on six attempts to start the second half.
Senior forward Evan Chatman reinvigorated Baylor’s offense halfway through the second. He ran in from the corner unnoticed, caught a lob and threw it down while getting fouled.
“That dunk was incredible,” Williams said. “He saved a turnover right there, but that dunk was crazy.”
The Bears closed the victory out with an extended dunk contest. They elevated for 14 slams to reach triple digits for the first time since March 7 when they tallied 101 against Utah.
Baylor’s homestand continues against Yale at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Foster Pavilion.
