Baylor Uses Second Half Surge to Run By Minnesota

Postseason basketball is in the air, as the Baylor Bears returned to the court for the first time in nearly three weeks to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the race for the crown tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Baylor’s season was a disappointment by any realistic measure, as they were likely hoping to be playing in this weekend’s final four when they convened for training camp last fall, but they were looking to make the best of the situation that was in front of them.

Some guys were looking to boost individual stocks for June’s NBA Draft. Other guys were hoping to help build a program that could return to prominence when next season begins.

One thing was clear from the beginning of the game, and that is that Baylor came to play. There was no sleeping at the wheel, nor taking the game for granted. The defensive effort, which was up and down for most of the season, was present in the first half as Baylor built a five-point halftime lead.

All Things Considered...

The star of the show in the first half was the gutty, gritty, Obi Agbim, who has a skillset to thrive in situations like the one he was in against Minnesota on Wednesday night.

Agbim led the team in the first half with nine points with all of his points coming from behind the three-point line. He added four rebounds and one assist to help his team jump out to an early lead.

The rest of the crew in the first half struggled against Minnesota’s tough defense, and desire to play at a much slower pace than what Baylor typically prefers.

That gave Baylor’s two stars, Cameron Carr and Tounde Yessoufou combined for 4-17 shooting in the first half.

Despite the poor shooting from their stars, Baylor led 31-26 at halftime, which could have been a much larger lead if they were able to slow down Minnesota’s Cole Tyson who led all scorers with 13 points in the first half.

As was usually the case throughout the course of Baylor’s season, they were going to have to win the second half in order to live to fight another day in this tournament.

Second Half Surge

The biggest mismatch in this game was if Baylor was ever able to get their offense in the open court. In half court sets, it was a struggle for both teams, but Baylor’s athleticism really shined in fastbreak opportunities.

Baylor’s halftime lead grew from five to 15 before the first media timeout in the second half, thanks to three Minnesota turnovers that turned into easy buckets on the other end for the Bears.

The good news for Baylor as the lead continued to balloon was that their defensive effort was taken to another level. Baylor’s defense struggled during the season, which has not been the norm with Scott Drew at the helm.

For one night, at least, they looked like the Baylor of old.

Of course, hot shooting from Agbim and Tounde Yessoufou coming to life in the second half put Baylor ahead by more than 20 points before the 12 minute mark in the second half. Baylor started shooting 7-9 as a team in a second half that was as dominant a sequence as they’d put together all season long.

Minnesota, who was one of the slowest moving teams in the country, simply could not keep pace once the Baylor lead started to balloon.

The second half was not very competitive once Baylor found their footing. As a result, Baylor found something they did not have much of this season.

A convincing win.

Wins, even when they come in a tournament that you wish you were not playing in, are still valuable for any program. Baylor found one on Wednesday night.

#Baylor's Cameron Carr and Tounde Yessoufou are vying to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Here is how both players can improve their draft stock beginning tonight against #Minnesota.https://t.co/pjIOOut9oQ
— Baylor Bears On SI (@BaylorBearsOnSI) April 1, 2026