Live In Game Updates: No. 21 Baylor Bears Face Texas Tech in Hostile Lubbock
The No. 21 ranked Baylor Bears have not beaten the Texas Tech Red Raiders on the basketball court since March 2021, 29 days before the program's national championship victory over Gonzaga in Indianapolis. 22 months later, the Bears hit the road in Lubbock Tuesday night to try to add to a two-game winning streak and stay in the rankings.
The Bears come into the matchup boasting the best offense in the Big 12 and one of the best in the nation, averaging just over 80 points a game. In head coach Mark Adams' first season at Tech in 2021-22, the Red Raiders were second nationally in defensive rating. This season, they are fourth in their own conference in that category and seventh in the Big 12 in points allowed per game.
Baylor has been getting steady scoring from their guards, as freshman Keyonte George averages over 17 points a game with both his starting backcourt mates in double figures as well, with Adam Flagler averaging 15 a game and LJ Cryer a shade under 14 a game.
Texas Tech may try to win this game in the paint, a place where Baylor has struggled most of the year, but greatly improved in Saturday's 74-58 win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Center Flo Thamba dominated on both ends of the court with Moussa Cisse missing the game, but Tech's Daniel Batcho is top three in the Big 12 in rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage, as he is getting just about anything he wants in the low post.
FIRST HALF
UNDER-16: Baylor leads 12-9. Baylor calls time out 54 seconds into the game after Tech gets two easy buckets to take the early 4-2 lead. Jalen Bridges and LJ Cryer hit threes on back-to-back possessions and Baylor goes up 10-7.
UNDER-12: Baylor leads 20-17. Flagler and Tyson trade off three-pointers and Baylor takes a three point lead with a transition layup from Bridges, who has nine early points. Isaacs promptly ties the game with a straightaway three. Bridges finishes a tough layup and adds the free throw for the three-point play.
UNDER-8: Baylor leads 29-22. George scores his first points of the night, rattling off five in a row for the Bears. Baylor goes on a 7-0 run in a 1:14 after the game was tied at 22.
UNDER-4: Baylor leads 38-34. Tech ends a 10-1 run with a Walton three. After Tech cuts the lead to five, Cryer hits another three, only for Walton to answer with one of his own. Tech is 7-13 from beyond the arc.
Cryer scores seven straight points (14 for the game) with a floater and a pair of three-pointers.
HALFTIME: Baylor 48, Texas Tech 40
SECOND HALF
UNDER-16: Baylor leads 61-52. Tech scores the first five from Airmaq and Isaacs before George hits back-to-back threes. Tech hits back-to-back triples before George hits another to push his total to 22 points on the night.
UNDER-12: Baylor leads 68-54. George finds Ojianwuna on a pick and roll dunk to put the lead at 9. Flagler finds a cutting Lohner on the next possession for another dunk. George hits a deep three to push the lead to 14, the largest of the night.
UNDER-8: Baylor leads 71-59. Neither team hit a field goal in between media timeouts.
UNDER-4: Baylor leads 75-65. Ojinwuna cleans up an offensive rebound and puts back a layup to put the lead at 15. Tech scores five in a row to cut the deficit to 10.
Tyson hits a step-back three to cut the deficit to nine. Isaacs hits one on the next possession to cut it to six. Baylor does not hit a field goal the last 5:48.
FINAL SCORE: Baylor 81, Texas Tech 74