Bears Have a Heartbeat: What We Learned about Baylor Hoops in Win Over West Virginia
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Baylor was in need of a big win after falling to 1-7 in Big 12 play. The Bears found a way to win on the road and it was against one of the top defensive teams in the conference. Baylor defeated West Virginia, 63-53, to pick up its second Big 12 win of the season. Here is what we learned following the Bears' win.
1. Scott Drew knows how to maintain a lead
Winning conference games on the road is no easy task; it doesn't matter who your opponent is. The Mountaineers were no exception; they did not roll over whatsoever after giving up an early lead. They even regained the lead with 8:00 to play in the first half, but a Baylor timeout and Cameron Carr four-point play quickly gave the advantage back to the Bears. Scott Drew silently excels with the lead, 111-13 when leading at halftime over the 2019-2025 seasons.
2. Obi Agbim can hush a crowd
For me, the highlight of this game is Obi Agbim taking over the court while the Baylor offense had gone completely cold. The senior, who is averaging 10.8 points per game, finally has his moment: hitting two big threes and then putting the game on ice with back-to-back assists.
3. Baylor needs to punch the opponent in the mouth early
Unfortunately, Baylor has not yet shown that they are a club that is capable of double-digit comebacks. They also are not the type of team to win the game in the first half. Against the weaker opponents early in the season, what scared me most was the Bears often failing to pull away in the second half. If Baylor is to have success going forward in conference play, they need to jump out early against Colorado and then continue to dominate the game.
Following the one-game homestand, Baylor has three ranked opponents within eight days. If they plan on upsetting any of those teams, they will have to come out with energy and hit some shots; then trust the decorated Scott Drew to do what he does with the lead. You cannot play with your food against the likes of Iowa State, BYU, and Louisville.
The Bears will have several days to gameplan for CU and prepare for an exciting stretch of Big 12 basketball.
More from Baylor on SI
- Baylor Starts Fast, Guts Out a Big Win Against West Virginia
- Three Baylor Bears Make CBS Top 100 Transfer Portal List
- Baylor Bears in the NBA as Keyonte George Impresses, Yves Missi Could be Moved
- ESPN Ranks Three Baylor Games in College Football's Top 100 Games of the Season
- Accomplished Baylor Football Coach Being Targeted by the USC Trojans
Bennett is an undergrad student at Baylor University, studying journalism on the sports track. He is from the DFW area and grew up playing and watching sports, which inspired him to pursue sports writing.
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