WACO, Texas — The No. 2 Baylor men’s basketball team (6-0) rode another dominating performance from Jared Butler to an emphatic 99-42 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-8).
Remember the old NCAA March Madness basketball games on Xbox? This looked like one of those, except Baylor was playing on freshman mode and turned their sliders to 100. Routs aren’t uncommon in the men’s game, but routs like this are absolutely jaw dropping.
LJ Cryer's team leading 15, Baylor’s 11-23 mark from deep and the Bears forcing 23 turnovers compared to just giving up five were all the difference — heck, what am I saying, just about everything was the difference.
The first half alone was a bloodbath. The Bears rattled off a 19-2 run to get things started and forced five turnovers before the first media break.The bad guys only trailed 4-2 in the opening few possessions, but Baylor went on a 35-2 charge over a 13 minute span with a long 20-0 march buried in there that was the proverbial nail in Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s coffin.
I could try and break down the disparity of the halftime stats, but, guys, I’ve got a word limit, so just take this for the insaneness it is:
The second half brought on beneficial minutes for Baylor’s bench who rotated strategically to allow younger guys to hit the floor with experienced starters still out there to lead them on. With cruise control on, the Bears outscored the Golden Lions 44-30 in the final 20.
Well, that was a sight to say the least. This Baylor team continues to prove that no opponent is too big and none too small — they’re dictating things and playing their game. With Central Arkansas on the horizon after an eight day holiday break, the Bears next legitimate challenge will be two Saturdays from now in Ames.
Also, Mark Paterson’s three ball? That was awesome.
