Baylor cracked the Associated Press rankings at No. 25 this week after winning six of its past seven games ahead of a matchup with Arizona on Tuesday in Tucson, Ariz.
The Bears (11-4, 3-1 Big 12) are coming off a 72-66 overtime victory at Arizona State on Saturday.
Arizona (10-5, 4-0) increased its winning streak to six games with an 88-80 victory over visiting UCF on Saturday.
Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd was critical of his team, himself and the coaching staff in the postgame press conference after Arizona made just one field goal in the last 4 1/2 minutes of the first half and went without a made field goal in the last 5 1/2 minutes of the game.
The Wildcats were 0-for-6 from the field with five turnovers at the end of the contest.
“I’m upset with how dumb we played. We were dumb,” Lloyd said. “Our fundamentals were poor. Our late-game execution was poor, and it’s not acceptable.
“I love where we’re at, but I’m also going to fight for where we’re going, and Arizona basketball does not play dumb at the end of the game. We just weren’t good enough at the end of the game.”
Arizona’s leading scorer, Caleb Love (15.8 points per game), finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Love, a preseason All-American, was 0-for-3 from the field with a turnover in the last five minutes of the game.
“Caleb was great to start. Was not good enough at the end, whether it’s shot selection or dribble down the sideline that gets a trap,” Lloyd said. “Caleb’s played college basketball for five years. He knows better than that. Falling down, OK, this stuff shouldn’t happen.
“I’m counting on this guy to be like an All-American-level player. I love Caleb, and I’ve given him a lot. He’s got to be better. Bottom line, he’s got to be better.”
Baylor won its overtime game against the Sun Devils with a seven-player rotation because ankle injuries kept guards Jalen Celestine and Langston Love from playing.
Neither has played since the Dec. 31 game against Utah and their status for the Tuesday night game was questionable.
Baylor held off Arizona State, which trailed by 15 points in the second half, behind 19 points from Miami transfer Norchad Omier.
“With a new group, you’ve got a lot of guys going through things for the first time together,” said Bears coach Scott Drew, whose team improved to 1-3 in true road games. “When we got to overtime, it was recalibrate, refocus, recenter and play Baylor basketball. And I think we did that.”
Baylor has won the two past meetings against Arizona, leveling the all-time series at 5-5.
The Bears last visited Tucson in 2018, when they ended Arizona’s 52-game home winning streak with a 58-49 triumph. Baylor beat the Wildcats in Waco, Texas, a year later, prevailing 63-58.
Baylor led the Big 12 and ranked 17th nationally through the weekend with an average of 14.1 offensive rebounds per game.
Arizona struggled against UCF in that category, allowing the Knights to grab 20 offensive rebounds that led to 23 second-chance points.
–Field Level Media
