Baylor challenged in top-10 showdown with Kansas, earn 77-69 victory

WACO, Texas — The No. 2 Baylor men’s basketball team continues to prove their worth, this time with a 77-69 win against No. 9 Kansas in the Ferrell Center. 

Jared Butler — two words that when put together equal the difference in college basketball’s biggest game of the new year. Butler boasted a monster 30 points on a 7-9 performance shooting from deep and eight assists to add another notch in his ‘reasons I should win the Naismith Trophy’ belt. 

Electric — one word, and my personal favorite of the night, to describe the atmosphere in the Ferrell Center. I wish I could put the feeling of chills into words for you. The first time the arena erupted, it felt like college sports were back — actually back. Bear nation outdid itself.

Baylor quite literally started with a splash as Butler nailed a three just 17 seconds into the game — and it was on from there. The Bears held leads of 11-2, 21-10, 28-13 and 37-21 thanks to a game-leading 17 points on 4-5 from deep logged by Butler in the first 20. 

Moreover, Baylor shot 16-29 overall, 5-9 from deep, led 20-10 in the paint and 17-13 on the glass. I get that I’m vomiting numbers here, but the stat sheet was just that dominant. My favorite of these numbers is the fact that Kansas had seven turnovers and the Bears had six — yet Baylor led the points off turnovers battle 12-2. 

The second half was a different story. Kansas enjoyed an 8-0 run and pulled the game within five at 56-51 before Baylor answered with an emphatic 9-0 stretch. While the Jayhawks wouldn’t exactly go away, the Bears did just enough early to secure the 77-69 victory. 

This Baylor team looked absolutely nuts at times in this game. While the absolute beat down of a first half wasn’t sustained, the Bears showed yet again how they can hit a switch at any time that turns them into the best team in the nation. 

Oh, and welcome back, Mark Vital. Not that you ever went anywhere, but your production was undeniable. Between 10 rebounds, some electric slams and an unconscious chase down block, you put on a show in front of the nation. 

If one thing can be said about this Baylor team, it’s this — if it needs to be done to win, they’ll find a way. They’ll give you a heart attack in the process, but what’s new?