Baylor Rallies Past Texas to Remain Undefeated

Baylor made NCAA basketball history on Tuesday night to remain undefeated thanks to a late rally against Texas.

Baylor is the first team to go 10-1 vs. ranked opponents in an 11-game span in 45 years, Matt Norlander reported. The last to do so was Indiana from 1974-76.

The Bears slid past the Longhorns 83-69 with three players scoring in the double digits, two of which tallied 20+ points. Davion Mitchell finished the night with 27 points while Jared Butler made 21 points. 

Texas, however, had four players score in double digits with Andrew Jones leading the way with 25 points. The team went 54.9% in the field and 45.5% from the three-point line while Baylor went 58.6% from field goal range and 52.4% in three-pointers.

What saved Baylor, aside from Mitchell and Butler hitting 20+, was the team going 100% from the free throw line, making four baskets total. Texas, however, only hit 21.4% (3/14) of its free throws. 

Heading into the Tuesday evening matchup, the Longhorns had been experiencing COVID-19 problems within the program, sidelining three key rotational players (who were all available against Baylor). Coach Shaka Smart revealed on Monday that he experienced 'significant' symptoms while in isolation. 

"This was not a walk in the park for me, not saying it has been for anyone else," Smart said ahead of Tuesday night's matchup of the top two teams in the Big 12. "When you go through that kind of stuff, it certainly swirls some things around your mind."

There were moments where it looked like Texas would overcome and beat Baylor, like when Greg Brown hit a vicious dunk to pull the Longhorns within four points with just over 13 minutes to go. 

However, he was called for a technical. 

But that moment ended up being a momentum shift for Baylor, Mitchell said in his postgame interviews. The Bears went on a 6-0 run in just over a minute and half of play before the Longhorns scored again. 

Baylor is now 17-0, 9-0 in BIG 12 play while Texas is 5-3 in conference play, tied for second with West Virginia.