Ja’Kobe Walter's 14 points in the second half lift No. 14 Baylor over Cincinnati 62-59
WACO, Texas (AP) Freshman Ja’Kobe Walter scored all 14 of his points in the second half to lift No. 14 Baylor to a 62-59 win over Cincinnati on Saturday night to stay atop the Big 12 standings with a 3-0 record.
Walter helped seal the win for the Bears (14-2, 3-0 Big 12) with a pair of free throws with 9.8 seconds remaining after drawing a foul following Simas Lukosius’ missed 3-pointer. Lukosius also missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds.
“It was a big key defending him,” Cincinnati coach Wes Miller said of Walter. “Defending him at the 3-point line was a massive key. I thought John Newman was terrific on him. Then we made some errors getting through some screens later in the game and gave him some good looks.”
Baylor withstood a 24-point performance by Cincinnati’s Dan Skillings Jr. and Day Day Thomas added 15.
Langston Love contributed 14 points for Baylor and RayJ Dennis collected 11 points and nine assists.
“We just got the rebounds and we made free throws when we needed to make them down the stretch,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “At the end of the day, we’re going to learn a lot during this season and the Big 12 helps you do that. Hopefully if you’re blessed to get to postseason, you’ve seen and experienced tight games and you know what you need to do. Doesn’t guarantee you’re going to win, but at least that experience is something that is beneficial.”
Tied 27-27 at halftime, the Bearcats (12-4, 1-2) took the ball to the basket forcefully to open the second half as Viktor Lakhin got in the paint twice for baskets while Thomas and Skillings also scored inside to open up a 38-31 lead.
But the Bears answered with an 11-0 run to grab a 42-38 edge as Walter scored his first points of the game by nailing a pair of free throws and driving inside for a basket.
Baylor switched into a zone defense that seemed to baffle the Bearcats, who didn’t score for more than six minutes before Skillings drained a 3-pointer to cut Baylor’s lead to 44-41 with 10:01 remaining.
After the Bears stretched their lead to 59-50, Skillings scored seven straight points for the Bearcats as he nailed a 3-pointer, drove for a basket and buried a pair of free throws with 2:20 remaining.
BIG PICTURE
The Bearcats managed to slow the tempo against the Bears, who came into the game leading the Big 12 with an 87.6 scoring average. Baylor shot 46% compared to Cincinnati’s 39%.
Baylor matched the Bearcats 32-32 on the boards. The Bearcats entered the game as the Big 12’s top rebounding team with a plus-12.8 margin.
“Just had to focus, we’ve been doing a lot of drills because we know how physical they are,” said Walter, who collected seven rebounds. “We just had to not only match it but be tougher than them. Our motto is toughest team wins. We just had that mindset every time on defense and we just knew we had to box out and get the rebound.”
UP NEXT
Cincinnati: Hosts TCU on Tuesday.
Baylor: Visits Kansas State on Tuesday.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | (Bears gains possession) | |||
19:30 | +2 | Jayden Nunn makes two point jump shot | 0-2 | |
19:10 | Simas Lukosius misses two point jump shot | |||
19:08 | Dan Skillings Jr. offensive rebound | |||
18:58 | Yves Missi shooting foul (Viktor Lakhin draws the foul) | |||
18:58 | Viktor Lakhin misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
18:58 | +1 | Viktor Lakhin makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 1-2 | |
18:44 | Yves Missi misses two point jump shot | |||
18:42 | Jalen Bridges offensive rebound | |||
18:40 | +3 | RayJ Dennis makes three point jump shot (Jalen Bridges assists) | 1-5 | |
18:27 | +2 | Day Day Thomas makes two point jump shot | 3-5 | |
18:01 | +2 | RayJ Dennis makes two point jump shot | 3-7 | |
17:43 | Day Day Thomas misses two point jump shot | |||
17:41 | Yves Missi defensive rebound | |||
17:39 | RayJ Dennis turnover (lost ball) (Dan Skillings Jr. steals) | |||
17:35 | +2 | Dan Skillings Jr. makes two point dunk | 5-7 | |
17:10 | +2 | Yves Missi makes two point dunk (Ja'Kobe Walter assists) | 5-9 | |
16:48 | Simas Lukosius misses three point jump shot | |||
16:46 | Jalen Bridges defensive rebound | |||
16:40 | Jalen Bridges misses three point jump shot | |||
16:38 | John Newman III defensive rebound | |||
16:26 | +2 | Day Day Thomas makes two point jump shot | 7-9 | |
16:06 | Day Day Thomas personal foul | |||
15:59 | Jalen Bridges misses three point jump shot | |||
15:57 | Jamille Reynolds defensive rebound | |||
15:44 | +2 | Viktor Lakhin makes two point jump shot | 9-9 | |
15:17 | Viktor Lakhin shooting foul (Josh Ojianwuna draws the foul) | |||
15:17 | TV timeout | |||
15:17 | Josh Ojianwuna misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
15:17 | +1 | Josh Ojianwuna makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 9-10 | |
14:53 | +2 | Jamille Reynolds makes two point jump shot (John Newman III assists) | 11-10 | |
14:35 | +2 | Langston Love makes two point jump shot | 11-12 | |
14:22 | +2 | Jamille Reynolds makes two point dunk (Simas Lukosius assists) | 13-12 | |
13:56 | Langston Love turnover (lost ball) (Viktor Lakhin steals) | |||
13:40 | Jamille Reynolds misses two point jump shot | |||
13:38 | Ja'Kobe Walter defensive rebound | |||
13:31 | Ja'Kobe Walter misses three point jump shot | |||
13:29 | Simas Lukosius defensive rebound | |||
13:12 | +2 | Jamille Reynolds makes two point jump shot (Day Day Thomas assists) | 15-12 | |
12:46 | +3 | Langston Love makes three point jump shot (Caleb Lohner assists) | 15-15 | |
12:43 | Viktor Lakhin technical foul | |||
12:43 | Caleb Lohner technical foul | |||
12:43 | Caleb Lohner turnover | |||
12:43 | Viktor Lakhin turnover | |||
12:10 | Bearcats turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
11:50 | RayJ Dennis turnover (out of bounds) | |||
11:50 | TV timeout | |||
11:25 | Ja'Kobe Walter shooting foul (Jamille Reynolds draws the foul) | |||
11:25 | Jamille Reynolds misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
11:25 | +1 | Jamille Reynolds makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 16-15 | |
11:12 | Jayden Nunn misses two point jump shot | |||
11:10 | Dan Skillings Jr. defensive rebound | |||
10:55 | Jizzle James misses two point jump shot | |||
10:53 | Ja'Kobe Walter defensive rebound | |||
10:38 | Jamille Reynolds shooting foul (Langston Love draws the foul) | |||
10:38 | Langston Love misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
10:38 | +1 | Langston Love makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 16-16 | |
10:38 | Bearcats 30 second timeout | |||
10:27 | +2 | Jizzle James makes two point jump shot | 18-16 | |
10:07 | Ja'Kobe Walter misses two point layup | |||
10:05 | Yves Missi offensive rebound | |||
10:03 | Yves Missi misses two point jump shot | |||
10:01 | Simas Lukosius defensive rebound | |||
10:00 | Yves Missi personal foul (Simas Lukosius draws the foul) | |||
9:29 | Jizzle James misses three point jump shot | |||
9:27 | Jalen Bridges defensive rebound | |||
9:11 | Ja'Kobe Walter turnover (bad pass) (Josh Reed steals) | |||
9:07 | Josh Reed turnover (lost ball) (Ja'Kobe Walter steals) | |||
8:47 | Ja'Kobe Walter misses two point jump shot | |||
8:45 | Josh Ojianwuna offensive rebound | |||
8:45 | Jamille Reynolds personal foul (Josh Ojianwuna draws the foul) | |||
8:33 | +2 | Jayden Nunn makes two point jump shot | 18-18 | |
8:18 | +2 | Simas Lukosius makes two point layup | 20-18 | |
7:49 | RayJ Dennis misses two point layup | |||
7:47 | Dan Skillings Jr. defensive rebound | |||
7:42 | Jayden Nunn personal foul (Jizzle James draws the foul) | |||
7:42 | TV timeout | |||
7:32 | Simas Lukosius misses two point jump shot | |||
7:30 | Viktor Lakhin offensive rebound | |||
7:25 | John Newman III misses three point jump shot | |||
7:23 | Langston Love defensive rebound | |||
7:12 | Jayden Nunn misses three point jump shot | |||
7:10 | Dan Skillings Jr. defensive rebound | |||
6:42 | Simas Lukosius misses three point jump shot | |||
6:40 | Jayden Nunn defensive rebound | |||
6:20 | Langston Love turnover (traveling) | |||
6:07 | Day Day Thomas misses two point layup | |||
6:05 | Langston Love defensive rebound | |||
5:58 | +3 | Langston Love makes three point jump shot | 20-21 | |
5:30 | John Newman III misses two point jump shot | |||
5:28 | Dan Skillings Jr. offensive rebound | |||
5:25 | +2 | Dan Skillings Jr. makes two point layup | 22-21 | |
5:11 | Josh Ojianwuna offensive foul (Dan Skillings Jr. draws the foul) | |||
5:11 | Josh Ojianwuna turnover (offensive foul) | |||
4:51 | Simas Lukosius turnover (lost ball) (RayJ Dennis steals) | |||
4:37 | RayJ Dennis misses three point jump shot | |||
4:35 | Jamille Reynolds defensive rebound | |||
4:22 | Jizzle James misses two point jump shot | |||
4:20 | RayJ Dennis defensive rebound | |||
4:07 | Jalen Bridges misses three point jump shot | |||
4:04 | Bearcats defensive rebound | |||
3:46 | John Newman III misses two point jump shot | |||
3:44 | John Newman III offensive rebound | |||
3:43 | Jump ball. (Bearcats gains possession) | |||
3:43 | TV timeout | |||
3:26 | Jamille Reynolds misses two point jump shot | |||
3:24 | Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua defensive rebound | |||
3:05 | Jamille Reynolds blocks Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua's two point layup | |||
3:03 | Jamille Reynolds defensive rebound | |||
2:57 | Langston Love blocks Jizzle James's two point layup | |||
2:55 | Bearcats offensive rebound | |||
2:54 | +3 | Dan Skillings Jr. makes three point jump shot (Josh Reed assists) | 25-21 | |
2:33 | +2 | Josh Ojianwuna makes two point dunk (RayJ Dennis assists) | 25-23 | |
2:04 | +2 | Day Day Thomas makes two point layup | 27-23 | |
1:43 | Langston Love misses three point jump shot | |||
1:41 | Day Day Thomas defensive rebound | |||
1:34 | Dan Skillings Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
1:32 | Ja'Kobe Walter defensive rebound | |||
1:13 | Dan Skillings Jr. shooting foul (Langston Love draws the foul) | |||
1:13 | +1 | Langston Love makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 27-24 | |
1:13 | +1 | Langston Love makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 27-25 | |
0:55 | Simas Lukosius misses three point jump shot | |||
0:53 | Caleb Lohner defensive rebound | |||
0:32 | +2 | RayJ Dennis makes two point jump shot | 27-27 | |
0:03 | Day Day Thomas misses three point jump shot | |||
0:01 | Caleb Lohner defensive rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |