Adam Flagler scored 20 points, and the Baylor defense did the rest as the 10th-ranked Bears throttled No. 20 Texas 80-63 in Big 12 Conference play Saturday in Waco, Texas.
Baylor (21-4, 9-3) dominated the game with its oldest rival despite playing without injured leading scorer LJ Cryer, foul trouble for starter Matthew Mayer, and an early first-half injury to key reserve Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua.
The Bears led by 13 points at halftime and by 21 seven minutes into the second half. Texas closed to 62-51 after two free throws by Timmy Allen with 9:18 to play capped a 10-0 run, but that’s as close as the Longhorns would get as Baylor pulled away late.
James Akinjo added 15 points for Baylor. Flo Thamba racked up 12 points and a season-high 11 rebounds, and Kendall Brown and Mayer scored 10 points each for the Bears, who have won three of their past four games.
Andrew Jones paced Texas (18-7, 7-5) with 11 points while Allen, Courtney Ramey, Christian Bishop, Marcus Carr, and Jase Febres added eight points apiece. The Longhorns shot just 32.8 percent from the field and were outrebounded 42-32.
Baylor shot 50 percent (26 of 52) from the field and had seven blocked shots, four by Thamba.
The Bears used a 12-0 run over a three-minute stretch early in the first half to jump to a 16-8 lead at the 13:17 mark. After Texas pulled to 16-13 on three free throws by Dylan Disu and a jumper by Allen, Baylor scored 15 of the ensuing 17 points, taking charge of the game and building a 31-15 advantage.
The Bears pushed their lead to as many as 18 points before Texas finished the half on a 7-2 run to pull within 44-31 at the break.
Flagler hit for 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor to lead all scorers in the opening half.
Ramey paced Texas with eight points at the half.
Any notion of a comeback for the Longhorns was discarded in the first three-plus minutes of the second half as Texas went scoreless.
–Field Level Media
