Takeaways From Baylor's Close Battle Against No. 7 Houston

Baylor started really strong as usual, leading for most of the second half and limiting Houston to a slow start early on offense. Cameron Carr and Tounde Yessoufou had a good first half, but Houston found momentum late in the half and tied it up at 35-35.

Baylor kept the foot on the pedal in a second half filled with hustle plays from both sides. Houston didn't see a lead until six minutes in the second half, and then went on a 20-3 run caused by multiple late-game missed shots and turnovers by Baylor. Houston ended up taking a 61-58 lead and never looked back. Baylor scored only four points in the last five minutes of the game, and Houston ran away with a 77-64 win.

Great fight for Baylor for most of the game, especially against a team of this caliber. But the same issues continue to ruin the Bears' chances against top teams when it gets close.

Offensive first half keeps Baylor close

Baylor started strong, shooting 48% from the field. Yessoufou started the first half with nine points, six rebounds, and two assists. Carr shot three out of four from three with five rebounds and a steal. Baylor took advantage of a slow-to-start Cougar team, and Carr came out hot, sinking his first three shots from deep. Cougars started off missing 13 out of their first 16 shots.

The biggest problem for Baylor was the turnovers. Even with an early struggling Cougars team, they eventually found rhythm off nine first-half turnovers, got some transition points, and somehow they found themselves going into halftime tied up with the Bears. Baylor's struggle with being smart with the ball continues to hurt them. Baylor had at one point a ten-point lead and was leading for the majority of the half.

Hustle filled second half goes back and forth

This was a great second half to watch, a lot of good defensive hustle plays. Baylor was able get multiple turnovers off Houston and stay with them for the first 13 minutes. Yessoufou was playing outstanding defense, having three steals and a block, along with 10 rebounds.

Baylor continued to keep the foot on the pedal, holding a 54-50 point lead with nine minutes left. Limiting Houston's top scorers, Milos Uzan and Kingston Flemings, to just 21 combined points, shooting just eight of 23. Houston had multiple scoring droughts and struggled to find offensive consistency throughout the night until late.

All-Time Freshman shows out

With the recent struggle of Yessoufou, questions started to appear as his draft stock was quickly falling. But Tounde had a standout game and dominated for the majority of it. He had multiple hustle rebounds and steals, along with some great shots, while dominating in the paint on mismatches. Always had some of the best help defense around screens, and contested a lot of Houston's missed shots.

Common issue for bears comes back at end of second half

Baylor continues let turnovers effect their offense. With 18 total in the game, and having nine of their last 12 possesions were missing shots or turnovers. This team continues to struggle with making shots when it matters and holding their aggressive edge after the first half ends. This team continues to fight, but seems to only look "good" for so long.