Adam Flagler scored 20 points and the Baylor defense did the rest as the 10th-ranked Bears throttled No. 20 Texas 80-63 on Saturday afternoon in Big 12 Conference play in Waco, Texas.
Baylor (21-4, 9-3 Big 12) 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 within 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 last four games.
Andrew Jones paced Texas (18-7, 7-5) with 11 points while Allen, Courtney Ramey, Christian Bishop, Marcus Carr, and Jase Fabres added eight points apiece. The Longhorns shot just 32.8 percent 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 back to within 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