Clutch Plays from Obi Agbim Help Baylor Survive UCF's Comeback
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Saturday night’s game looked like it was going to be a signature moment for the 2026 version of the Baylor Bears.
Cameron Carr was scorching hot from the field, leading a balanced scoring attack with 20 points, while Baylor scored 56 total in the first half.
Second Half Woes
Of course, you’ve seen these Baylor Bears play basketball this season. Nothing was going to come easy for this team.
Even as Baylor led by 14 going into halftime, that lead was erased pretty quickly as UCF went on a 16-4 run to cut Baylor’s lead to two with just under 13 minutes to play in the game.
The Bears looked shell shocked.
It felt inevitable that their lead would evaporate shortly, and this final game of February would look like so many others prior to it.
Carr had gone cold from the field, Tounde Yessoufou was missing in action, missing eight of his first nine shots, and really struggling to put the ball in the basket. Yessoufou only had three points in the first half.
That was made up for by the offense of Isaac Williams, who Scott Drew pointed out as someone playing really well for Baylor through this rough stretch they’ve gone through over the last couple of games.
It would have been understandable if Baylor had simply mailed it in, citing a tough loss to Arizona a few short days ago, then wilting at the first sign of adversity on the road, while also playing for virtually nothing themselves.
Baylor would win the second stretch before the media timeout in the second half, extending their lead to five, where Scott Drew implored his team to keep fighting in four minute increments, as shown on the FS1 broadcast.
Baylor had 11:44 to prevent another embarrassing collapse in a game they had no business losing.
Fighting Back
Instead of wilting, Baylor punched back. Big baskets from Yessoufou, Dan Skillings, and Michael Rataj put Baylor up 10 with under eight minutes to play.
While Carr was mostly silent for the first 12 minutes of the second half, his teammates picked up the slack.
It’s that level of balanced scoring that has eluded Baylor for most of the season, but they found a way against a team that will likely qualify for the NCAA Tournament when the committee makes its selections for the 68-team field in two weeks.
Of course, to echo an earlier point, Baylor’s moment of poise was short lived. As the late game pressure ratcheted up, Baylor struggled. Their lack of quality point guard play, a wart all season long, continued to rear its ugly head.
Ultimately, Scott Drew called a timeout with his team clinging to an 80-78 lead with 3:59 to play in the game.
The two teams had traded jabs between media timeouts throughout the night, and Drew needed his team to win the final four minutes to secure a win in a season that has been otherwise forgettable.
Baylor entered the final two minutes of the game leading 84-82, before an empty possession gave UCF a chance to tie and take the lead.
UCF did just that on a short runner from Jamichael Stillwell.
The Greatness of Obi Agbim
Baylor would get the lead right back on a miracle shot from Obi Agbim, who took charge after the entire offense looked disjointed for the duration of the possession.
While some of Baylor’s stars like Carr and Yessoufou have shied away from the ball in those moments, notably in Saturday’s game, Agbim has been fearless.
Two free throws from UCF would tie the game with 25.9 seconds left. After UCF used its foul to give, Baylor had 3.2 seconds left in the game to give them a chance at a buzzer-beating victory.
Instead, Baylor got a gift.
Riley Kugel, who was excellent all night for UCF, fouled Obi Agbim with 1.3 seconds remaining.
Agbim, the best free throw shooter on the Bears, missed the first of three attempts before hitting one. A heady play came next.
Agbim missed the third free throw on purpose, with the ball flying off the rim, draining the rest of the remaining time, and Baylor had done what they had not done all season.
They survived a significant punch from a superior team in the second half, and walked out of the gym with an 87-86 victory, which is arguably its best of the season. It may be too little too late, but winning on the road is still difficult to do, and it’s a good sign for the state of the program that the Bears continue to fight as their season has dwindled away.
Former #Baylor Heisman-winning QB Robert Griffin III recently reacted to his ranking by ESPN. He was named the No. 10 college QB since the year 2000.
— Baylor Bears On SI (@BaylorBearsOnSI) March 1, 2026
'..the is the list is wrong. Okay. It's wrong.'https://t.co/Ri3RGsmat8
Jacob Westendorf is a contributing writer for Baylor Bears on SI. He is also a writer covering the Green Bay Packers for Packers on SI. Westendorf graduated from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where he earned a degree in communication with an emphasis in journalism and mass media. He worked in newspapers in Green Bay and Rockford, Illinois. He also interned at Packer Report for Bill Huber while earning his degree. In 2018, he became a staff writer for PackerReport.com, and a regular contributor on Packer Report's "Pack A Day Podcast." In 2020, he founded the media company Game On Wisconsin. In 2023, he rejoined Packer Central, which is part of Sports Illustrated Media Group.