Bridges' Career Day Can't Save Baylor, Cyclones Send Bears Packing 78-72
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The fourth-seeded and No. 10 ranked Baylor Men’s Basketball team (22-10) fell for the third time this season to the fifth-seeded Iowa State Cyclones (19-12) in the Big 12 Tournament Thursday, this time by a score of 78-72.
Jalen Bridges put forth a career effort, scoring 28 points on 10-for-11 including 7 threes, but it was not enough.
Gabe Kalscheur scored 24 points for the Cyclones, while Jaren Holmes and Tamil Lipsey added 17 and 13 respectively.
Meanwhile, Baylor’s three starting guards could only muster 35 points on 9-for-31 shooting.
On a day when the Bears shot 14-for-29 from deep, the loss reflects poorly on Baylor’s interior offense from all players on the court.
An early 6-0 run and 8-3 lead for the Cyclones probably had Baylor fans bracing for an ugly repeat of the regular season finale. And while the game would eventually deliver another disappointment, the first half was much more hotly contested than last Saturday.
Behind, 25-19, the green and gold embarked on a 10-0 run, highlighted by a Keynote George three and some good free throw shooting.
Iowa State hung tough though, and Adam Flagler had to nail a triple from the mid-court logo to give the Bears a 41-38 halftime lead.
Bridges came out on fire to start the second half, hitting three straight threes and giving the Bears a 50-42 advantage, but from there the Baylor offense screeched to a halt.
The Cyclones locked down on defense, the refs tighten up, and Baylor did not adjust well enough to stay competitive.
After an 8-minute stretch where ISU outscored BU 20-6 to make it 68-59, Bear fans were left feeling much like last Saturday: Nervous about what the future holds for such a hot and cold offense and struggling defense.
Through the last four minutes of the game, Baylor could not get a bucket and a stop to kickstart a comeback attempt.
A pair of late Cryer threes made the scoreline closer, but the result was never in jeopardy. 78-72 Cyclones advance.
Aside from scoring, Iowa State dominated the boards 44-17, and similarly won the point-in-the-paint battle 36-14.
The Bears are now just 2-4 in their last six games, and they have a week to get things right before playing in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament next Thursday or Friday. Baylor will now likely fall to the No. 3 seed line.
The NCAA Tournament selection show will be at 5 PM EST on CBS.