Baylor freshman Ja'Kobe Walter big after halftime as No. 15 Bears beat TCU 62-54
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) Standout freshman Ja'Kobe Walter started a game-turning spurt for 15th-ranked Baylor with a slam dunk and ended it by blowing a kiss to the TCU student section after making a 3-pointer.
“They were saying ‘Airball’ after I missed ... but next one, I'm still shooting,” Walter said. “Knock it down. I had to shut them up, so blew them a kiss.”
Walter scored 13 of his 16 points after halftime and 7-foot freshman Yves Missi had 12 of his 16 in the second half of the Bears' 62-54 win Monday night. Jalen Bridges finished with 15 points while RayJ Dennis had nine points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
With a clear path to the basket, Walter bypassed a 3-pointer and drove instead for an emphatic slam. That ignited a 10-0 run that he ended with a 3 from the right corner near his bench and in front of the students. That put Baylor up 42-31 with 13:48 left, and was part of a bigger 19-2 spurt in which he also made another long-range shot.
Jameer Nelson Jr. had 11 points and Emanuel Miller 10 for the Horned Frogs (19-9, 8-7), who shot 33% (17 of 51). That included 10 consecutive misses to end the first half, and a span of nine misses in a row over 7 1/2 minutes after halftime.
Baylor's zone defense held TCU to a season low in scoring - just one day short of a month after TCU won 105-102 in triple overtime at Baylor.
“We just had a lot of motivation, and we just want to really focus on the defensive end,” Walter said.
“They played hard defense. They threw the zone out for 40 minutes, and we just had no answer,” Miller said. “This loss hurts. It definitely stings.”
Baylor led 25-23 at halftime after not a single point was scored in the final 4:57 of the half. The Frogs thought they had tied the game on a shot by JaKobe Coles at the buzzer that bounced on several sides of the rim before falling through, but a replay review showed the ball was still on his fingertips when the clock ran out.
While the Frogs missed 13 of their last 14 field goals of the first half, and all 10 after Miller’s three-point play with 8:58 left, they led 23-21 after Nelson made two free throws with 6:11 left.
The Bears weren’t much better, missing 10 of their last 11 shots, none after Dennis drove for a layup with with 5:24 left to tie the game. Two free throws by Jayden Nunn with 4:58 left were the final points of the half.
BIG PICTURE
Baylor and TCU entered the game with identical records and part of a three-way tie for fourth place in the Big 12. The top four teams get byes into the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament. TCU had been 3-0 against top-15 teams at home this season.
MISSING LOVE
Baylor sophomore guard Langston Love sat out for the fifth time in six games because of an ankle injury. Love averages 11.1 points while not starting any of his 23 games. He got hurt Feb. 6 against Texas Tech, missed three games in a row, then reaggravated his injury against BYU last Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Baylor closes out its home schedule with two games in a three-day span, Saturday against seventh-ranked Kansas and Monday against Texas.
TCU is on the road for its next two games, at BYU on Saturday and then at West Virginia on March 6.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Yves Missi vs. Xavier Cork (Jameer Nelson Jr. gains possession) | |||
19:38 | +2 | Avery Anderson III makes two point stepback jump shot (Emanuel Miller assists) | 0-2 | |
19:14 | Avery Anderson III personal foul (RayJ Dennis draws the foul) | |||
19:11 | Jayden Nunn offensive foul (Jameer Nelson Jr. draws the foul) | |||
19:11 | Jayden Nunn turnover (offensive foul) | |||
18:54 | +2 | Xavier Cork makes two point alley-oop layup (Avery Anderson III assists) | 0-4 | |
18:25 | Xavier Cork personal foul (Yves Missi draws the foul) | |||
18:18 | +3 | Jalen Bridges makes three point jump shot (Yves Missi assists) | 3-4 | |
18:00 | Jameer Nelson Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
17:55 | Bears defensive rebound | |||
17:31 | Jameer Nelson Jr. blocks Ja'Kobe Walter's three point jump shot | |||
17:30 | Bears offensive rebound | |||
17:26 | +3 | Jalen Bridges makes three point stepback bank jump shot | 6-4 | |
17:18 | Emanuel Miller misses two point driving layup | |||
17:16 | Xavier Cork offensive rebound | |||
17:15 | +2 | Xavier Cork makes two point putback dunk | 6-6 | |
17:01 | RayJ Dennis turnover (bad pass) | |||
16:35 | Emanuel Miller misses two point jump shot | |||
16:33 | Xavier Cork offensive rebound | |||
16:29 | +2 | Jameer Nelson Jr. makes two point driving dunk (Xavier Cork assists) | 6-8 | |
16:09 | Jameer Nelson Jr. personal foul (RayJ Dennis draws the foul) | |||
16:05 | +3 | Jalen Bridges makes three point jump shot (Jayden Nunn assists) | 9-8 | |
15:49 | Micah Peavy misses three point jump shot | |||
15:47 | Jalen Bridges defensive rebound | |||
15:34 | Essam Mostafa blocks Josh Ojianwuna's two point driving layup | |||
15:33 | Horned Frogs defensive rebound | |||
15:33 | TV timeout | |||
15:09 | Micah Peavy turnover (traveling) | |||
14:56 | RayJ Dennis misses three point jump shot | |||
14:54 | JaKobe Coles defensive rebound | |||
14:43 | Jameer Nelson Jr. turnover (bad pass) (Jalen Bridges steals) | |||
14:36 | Jayden Nunn misses three point stepback jump shot | |||
14:34 | Micah Peavy defensive rebound | |||
14:30 | +2 | JaKobe Coles makes two point driving layup (Micah Peavy assists) | 9-10 | |
14:03 | +2 | RayJ Dennis makes two point driving floating jump shot | 11-10 | |
13:44 | +2 | JaKobe Coles makes two point driving layup (Jameer Nelson Jr. assists) | 11-12 | |
13:44 | Jalen Bridges shooting foul (JaKobe Coles draws the foul) | |||
13:44 | +1 | JaKobe Coles makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 11-13 | |
13:33 | +3 | Ja'Kobe Walter makes three point running jump shot (RayJ Dennis assists) | 14-13 | |
13:15 | Essam Mostafa misses two point jump shot | |||
13:13 | Jalen Bridges defensive rebound | |||
12:56 | Jalen Bridges misses two point jump shot | |||
12:54 | Essam Mostafa defensive rebound | |||
12:34 | Trevian Tennyson misses three point jump shot | |||
12:32 | Jalen Bridges defensive rebound | |||
12:25 | RayJ Dennis turnover (bad pass) (Essam Mostafa steals) | |||
12:12 | Josh Ojianwuna shooting foul (JaKobe Coles draws the foul) | |||
12:12 | +1 | JaKobe Coles makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 14-14 | |
12:12 | JaKobe Coles misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
12:12 | Miro Little defensive rebound | |||
11:56 | +3 | Jalen Bridges makes three point stepback jump shot (Ja'Kobe Walter assists) | 17-14 | |
11:41 | +2 | Xavier Cork makes two point layup (JaKobe Coles assists) | 17-16 | |
11:21 | Xavier Cork shooting foul (Yves Missi draws the foul) | |||
11:21 | TV timeout | |||
11:21 | +1 | Yves Missi makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 18-16 | |
11:21 | +1 | Yves Missi makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 19-16 | |
11:04 | Trevian Tennyson misses two point floating jump shot | |||
11:02 | Emanuel Miller offensive rebound | |||
10:57 | Yves Missi blocks Emanuel Miller's two point jump shot | |||
10:55 | Yves Missi defensive rebound | |||
10:38 | Yves Missi misses two point driving layup | |||
10:36 | Trevian Tennyson defensive rebound | |||
10:32 | Trevian Tennyson turnover (bad pass) (Jalen Bridges steals) | |||
10:11 | +2 | Yves Missi makes two point layup (RayJ Dennis assists) | 21-16 | |
9:55 | Avery Anderson III turnover (traveling) | |||
9:32 | Ja'Kobe Walter misses three point pullup jump shot | |||
9:30 | Essam Mostafa defensive rebound | |||
9:19 | Avery Anderson III misses three point running jump shot | |||
9:17 | RayJ Dennis defensive rebound | |||
9:07 | Jalen Bridges turnover (lost ball) (Essam Mostafa steals) | |||
8:59 | +2 | Emanuel Miller makes two point cutting layup (Jameer Nelson Jr. assists) | 21-18 | |
8:59 | Yves Missi shooting foul (Emanuel Miller draws the foul) | |||
8:58 | +1 | Emanuel Miller makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 21-19 | |
8:33 | RayJ Dennis misses three point stepback jump shot | |||
8:31 | Avery Anderson III defensive rebound | |||
8:26 | Emanuel Miller misses two point driving layup | |||
8:24 | Caleb Lohner defensive rebound | |||
7:55 | JaKobe Coles blocks Ja'Kobe Walter's two point driving layup | |||
7:53 | Bears turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
7:53 | TV timeout | |||
7:38 | Avery Anderson III turnover (bad pass) (Jalen Bridges steals) | |||
7:26 | Caleb Lohner offensive foul (Micah Peavy draws the foul) | |||
7:26 | Caleb Lohner turnover (offensive foul) | |||
7:03 | Jameer Nelson Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
7:01 | Caleb Lohner flagrant 1 (Emanuel Miller draws the foul) | |||
7:01 | Official timeout | |||
7:01 | +1 | Emanuel Miller makes flagrant free throw 1 of 2 | 21-20 | |
7:01 | +1 | Emanuel Miller makes flagrant free throw 2 of 2 | 21-21 | |
6:51 | Trevian Tennyson misses three point jump shot | |||
6:49 | Jalen Bridges defensive rebound | |||
6:34 | JaKobe Coles blocks Yves Missi's two point driving layup | |||
6:32 | Bears offensive rebound | |||
6:19 | RayJ Dennis misses three point jump shot | |||
6:17 | Emanuel Miller defensive rebound | |||
6:11 | RayJ Dennis personal foul (Jameer Nelson Jr. draws the foul) | |||
6:11 | +1 | Jameer Nelson Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 21-22 | |
6:11 | +1 | Jameer Nelson Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 21-23 | |
5:42 | Jalen Bridges misses three point stepback jump shot | |||
5:40 | Micah Peavy defensive rebound | |||
5:32 | Micah Peavy misses two point driving floating jump shot | |||
5:30 | RayJ Dennis defensive rebound | |||
5:24 | +2 | RayJ Dennis makes two point driving layup | 23-23 | |
5:03 | Jameer Nelson Jr. turnover (lost ball) (RayJ Dennis steals) | |||
4:58 | Trevian Tennyson shooting foul (Jayden Nunn draws the foul) | |||
4:58 | +1 | Jayden Nunn makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 24-23 | |
4:58 | +1 | Jayden Nunn makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 25-23 | |
4:45 | Jameer Nelson Jr. misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
4:43 | Ja'Kobe Walter defensive rebound | |||
4:24 | Yves Missi offensive foul (JaKobe Coles draws the foul) | |||
4:24 | Yves Missi turnover (offensive foul) | |||
4:04 | Avery Anderson III misses two point driving floating jump shot | |||
4:02 | Jalen Bridges defensive rebound | |||
3:45 | Ja'Kobe Walter misses two point stepback jump shot | |||
3:43 | Horned Frogs defensive rebound | |||
3:43 | TV timeout | |||
3:32 | Emanuel Miller turnover (bad pass) (Josh Ojianwuna steals) | |||
3:22 | Josh Ojianwuna misses two point driving layup | |||
3:20 | Emanuel Miller defensive rebound | |||
3:09 | Trevian Tennyson misses three point jump shot | |||
3:07 | Miro Little defensive rebound | |||
2:47 | Jayden Nunn misses two point driving layup | |||
2:45 | Trevian Tennyson defensive rebound | |||
2:40 | Chuck O'Bannon Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
2:38 | Essam Mostafa offensive rebound | |||
2:24 | Chuck O'Bannon Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
2:22 | Ja'Kobe Walter defensive rebound | |||
2:06 | Jalen Bridges misses three point stepback jump shot | |||
2:04 | Ja'Kobe Walter offensive rebound | |||
2:01 | Trevian Tennyson personal foul (Ja'Kobe Walter draws the foul) | |||
1:58 | Jameer Nelson Jr. personal foul (Jalen Bridges draws the foul) | |||
1:58 | Jalen Bridges misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
1:58 | Emanuel Miller defensive rebound | |||
1:43 | JaKobe Coles misses two point turnaround jump shot | |||
1:41 | Josh Ojianwuna defensive rebound | |||
1:12 | Ja'Kobe Walter turnover (lost ball) (Avery Anderson III steals) | |||
1:07 | Avery Anderson III turnover (lost ball) (Jayden Nunn steals) | |||
0:40 | Ja'Kobe Walter turnover (lost ball) (Avery Anderson III steals) | |||
0:36 | Avery Anderson III turnover (bad pass) (Ja'Kobe Walter steals) | |||
0:31 | Bears 30 second timeout | |||
0:09 | Chuck O'Bannon Jr. blocks Jayden Nunn's two point driving layup | |||
0:08 | Bears offensive rebound | |||
0:06 | Josh Ojianwuna misses three point jump shot | |||
0:04 | Essam Mostafa defensive rebound | |||
0:04 | Horned Frogs 30 second timeout | |||
0:00 | End of period |