Ja’Kobe Walter set a program record for a freshman with 28 points and RayJ Dennis and Yves Missi made huge plays down the stretch to help lift No. 20 Baylor to an 88-82 come-from-behind win over Auburn on Tuesday in Sioux Falls, S.D., in the season opener for both teams.
The Tigers led by nine points at halftime but could not create any real separation in the second half.
Baylor eventually tied the game at 77 on a 3-pointer by Dennis with 3:02 to play. Missi gave the Bears the lead with a dunk on the ensuing possession and went high to block a layup by Denver Jones to allow them to remain in front.
Missi added a pair of free throws with 2:10 left and Dennis made a jumper 44 seconds later to extend the Bears’ lead to six points.
Walter scored the most points by a freshman in his Baylor debut. Dennis added 15 points, Jalen Bridges had 13 and Missi, a freshman, scored 10 points in the win.
Aden Holloway led the Tigers with 19 points off the bench while Johni Broome scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Jones had 13 points.
Holloway’s 3-pointer at the 15:18 mark of the first half leapfrogged the Tigers to a 9-7 lead, but Baylor bounced back with a 10-2 run capped by Miro Little’s layup with 12:21 to play in the first half.
Auburn rallied to within 22-21 after a free throw by Broome with 8:56 remaining. The Bears’ Josh Ojianwuna pushed the lead to three points via a putback layup on the ensuing possession, but Auburn rattled off five straight points to jump back in front.
The Tigers’ surge continued throughout the rest of the half, as a 3-pointer by Jones with 23 seconds left produced a 43-34 advantage for Auburn at the break.
Walter led all scorers with 13 points before halftime. Jones paced the Tigers with eight points.
Walter put his game into overdrive in the early minutes of the second half, scoring the Bears’ first eight points before Dennis’ layup at the 17:50 mark brought Baylor to within 45-44.
–Field Level Media
