Baylor looks to keep nonconference home win streak intact as Southern visits

Baylor Bears will look to add to its impressive home winning streak against nonconference teams and build some continuity and momentum for the upcoming Big 12 season when it hosts Southern Jaguars University on Sunday afternoon in Waco, Texas.

The Bears (8-2) return to the court for their second game in 41 hours following a 113-56 win at home over hapless Alcorn State on Friday. Cameron Carr poured in 24 points, 17 of them in the first half, as Baylor used two huge runs at the end of the first half and midway through the second, the latter a 23-0 surge that gave the Bears a 50-point lead with 12:20 to play, to swamp the visitors and win for the second straight outing.

Isaac Williams IV added 21 points for the Bears, with Michael Rataj scoring 18, Tounde Yessoufou hitting for 17, Obi Agbim racking up 14 and Dan Skillings Jr. tallying 12 points. Caden Powell grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds in the win, and Rataj added 10 boards.

"I thought we weren't atrocious, but in the first 16 minutes, we weren't as sharp as we are capable and needed to be," Baylor coach Scott Drew said after Friday's win. "I thought the run to finish the half and then the beginning of the second half, the rust was off and I think we were locked in."

Baylor's losses this year have been to then-No. 14 St. John's on a neutral court and at Memphis. The Bears have now captured 50 straight home nonconference wins, which ranks second in the nation behind Auburn in consecutive nonconference victories at home.

The Jaguars (4-7) head to Waco on a three-game losing streak, most recently a 75-67 road setback to California Baptist on Tuesday. Cam Amboree led Southern with 18 points while Malek Abdelgowad had 11 and DaMariee Jones scored 10 points.

Southern has dropped road games to No. 14 Arkansas, Marquette, Washington and Texas, among others, while three of its wins have come at home against NAIA or National Christian College Athletic Association teams.

The Jaguars are working through their nonconference schedule to prepare for a repeat run for the SWAC regular-season title they garnered in 2025.

"There were some really good accomplishments last year, and to hang it all on that last game is almost unfair," Southern coach Kevin Johnson said. "This group has got to learn from the mistakes that we made. That's the goal."

--Field Level Media