No. 5 Baylor Basketball, Keyonte George Beats Norfolk State 87-70
No. 5 Baylor men's basketball (2-0) soared offensively behind Keyonte George's 23 points to topple Norfolk State (2-1) at home 87-70.
George, the No. 2 recruit in America in last year's class, was as good as advertised on Friday night. Sure, he played well in Monday's opener, but this was a different level of skill.
The true freshman finished with 23 points on 6-11 from deep along with seven assists, five rebounds and two steals. That is good.
Do note, though, Adam Flager and Jalen Bridges were vital offensively as LJ Cryer finished with just seven points on 2-12 from three. Facing a Norfolk State team that returned 12 players and all five starters from a tournament team last year, that was a recipe to at least keep the Spartans in it.
Honing in on the first half, things started exactly as planned for Baylor. Behind seven early points from George, the Bears led 18-9 just 5:22 into the game. Then things slowed down.
The remaining 14:38 minutes played host to a dogfight. Norfolk State outscored Baylor 25-24 in the rest of the period, boasting a 52% shooting percentage and an 18-17 lead in rebounds.
George had 15 and Flagler added nine in the opening 20 minutes, but Norfolk State hanging around was the story. It was 42-34 at the break.
The second half was the Bridges and Flagler show as the seniors put up 20 and 18 respectively in the final period. George was getting plenty of attention, so the complimentary scoring was what ultimately finished off the Spartans.
The Bears shot 15-38 from three and saw their starters score 73 of the team's points. This 87-70 win precedes a game against Northern Colorado on Monday. That's the final tune-up before Baylor meets Virginia next week.
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