V.J. Edgecombe scored 19 points to lead No. 25 Baylor to an 81-56 rout of Big 12 Conference newcomer Utah on Tuesday in Waco, Texas.
Norchad Omier contributed 15 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and two steals while Jeremy Roach and Robert Wright III each scored 15 points for the Bears (9-3, 1-0 Big 12).
Baylor held the Utes (8-4, 0-1) to 31.8 percent shooting overall and to only 17 points in the first half while seizing control for good. The Bears led by as many as 31 in the game despite shooting just 40.6 percent from the field.
Hunter Erickson led Utah with 13 points off the bench. Mason Madsen was the only other Utes scorer in double figures, posting 10 points. The rest of the starters combined for just nine points on 3-of-25 shooting from the floor.
Gabe Madsen, who led the Utes in scoring during nonconference action with an average of 18.8 points per game, scored his only points on a 3-pointer early in the second half. He went 1-for-7 from the floor for the game.
Jayden Nunn got things going for Baylor, which improved to 7-0 at home, with an early 3-pointer. That sparked a game-opening 11-0 run for the Bears, who held the Utes scoreless for nearly 5 1/2 minutes to open the contest.
Former Baylor forward Caleb Lohner finally put the Utes on the scoreboard with a layup at the 14:33 mark of the first half.
Neither team scored for nearly two minutes after that, and Utah eventually narrowed the gap to three, 15-12, with 8:31 to go in the half.
Baylor responded with a 7-0 run and seized a 20-point lead by halftime after Roach hit a pair of threes in the final 1:38 of the opening period.
The Bears carried the momentum into the second half, scoring the first seven points of the frame to establish a 44-17 lead.
–Field Level Media
