RayJ Dennis scored 13 points and Jalen Bridges and Yves Missi added 12 each as No. 14 Baylor put it all together in the second half to defeat Cincinnati 68-56 on Thursday in the final quarterfinal in the Big 12 Conference tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
The Bears (23-9), the third seed in the tourney, advance to face seventh-ranked Iowa State, the second seed, in the late semifinal on Friday. The Cyclones handled 10th-seeded Kansas State 76-57 in the quarterfinals earlier Thursday.
Baylor trailed by nine points early in the game and by a bucket at halftime before finding its stride over the first eight and a half minutes of the second half. The Bears went up 47-33 by hitting eight straight shots, the last a step-back 3-pointer by Dennis with 11:31 remaining.
Cincinnati swung back, using a 10-0 run to pull to within four points with 9:16 left. The Bearcats never got closer, as Baylor hit its free throws down the stretch.
Ja’Kobe Walter added 11 points for the Bears, which made 19 of 22 free throws, outscoring Cincinnati by 12 points at the line.
Dan Skillings Jr. poured in a game-high 15 points for the Bearcats (20-14), with Jizzle James and John Newman III adding a dozen apiece.
The Bearcats sprinted out of the gate, scoring 10 of the game’s initial 11 points — the opening run capped by a layup by Skillings at the 15:37 mark.
Cincinnati led 12-4 before the Bears made their first shot, a banked jumper by Jayden Nunn with 11:29 to play in the half that ended a streak of nine consecutive misses.
Baylor turned the tables on the Bearcats, pulling even at 12 on a layup by Caleb Lohner with 9:05 to play in the half while holding Cincinnati scoreless for almost five minutes. The lead changed hands seven times over the remainder of the half, the final time on a dunk by Jamille Reynolds off an assist from Simas Lukosius with 2:35 left. The Bearcats took a 26-24 advantage to the break.
Skillings led Cincinnati with nine points before halftime while Nunn’s seven points paced the Bears, who shot just 26.1 percent , including 1 for 10 on 3-point attempts.
The Bears went in front for good by reeling off a 7-0 run that culminated in a layup by Bridges with 15:48 to play. A dunk by Bridges a minute and a half later gave Baylor a 39-31 lead.
–Field Level Media