Baylor Dominates Texas Tech in Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua's Return
Baylor blew out Texas Tech in dominant fashion Saturday, 89-62, their largest victory over the Red Raiders since Feb. 9, 2013.
The highlight of the game was certainly the return of Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year who missed the last year with a knee injury. He made his season debut early in the first half to a standing ovation.
Tchamwa Tchatchoua finished the game with eight points and four rebounds, though his biggest impact came in the size and energy he brought to the court. He played like a man who hadn't seen any game action in a year, and the impact he made on the Bears' defense – even in limited minutes – was tangible.
Still, the game was tight for most of the first half. The Bears failed to score between 18:00 and 12:39, but defended well enough to keep the game within three. After that, no one went on a run of more than four points until 4:43, when Flo Thamba and Keyonte George scored six straight.
The Red Raiders wouldn't let up, as De'Vion Harmon hit back-to-back jumpers and a free throw to cut the lead to one. But George hit a pull-up from the elbow, and Tchamwa Tchatchoua popped a triple from the top of the key – his seventh college three-pointer in four seasons – to further extend the lead. Baylor entered halftime up 38-34.
The early second half saw perhaps the hottest run of Baylor's season so far, as Jalen Bridges and George combined to drop eight points in 48 seconds. It was a Reggie Miller-esque performance by the Bears – or at least the Walmart brand of it – as the scoring spree shot the lead up to 14 points.
It may seem like an 8-0 run would be the highlight of the game, but no – a few minutes later, the Bears outdid themselves, outscoring the Red Raiders 14-0 in a 1:35 span. That stretch included three consecutive three-pointers, including another one from Tchamwa Tchatchoua, who suddenly looks like a potential Baylor floor-spacer.
The Bears never looked back, outscoring Texas Tech 51-28 in the second half. They're now 6-4 in Big 12 play, and 1 1/2 games back of top-ranked Texas, ahead of Wednesday's matchup with Oklahoma.
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