No. 24 MBB Defeats Texas State, 72-63

Friday, November 15

Waco, Texas

8 p.m.

Baylor

2-1,0-0Big 12

Texas State

2-2,0-0Sun Belt

Texas St.

Baylor

No. 24 MBB Defeats Texas State, 72-63

11/15/2019 10:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Postgame Notes Baylor Quotes Texas State Quotes

Jared Butler scored 15 points to lead a balanced Baylor attack

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            If the 24^th-ranked Baylor men have learned anything from their last two games, it's the fact that they've got some work to do in end-of-the-game situations. They've got to figure out how to finish better.
            For the second-straight game, the Bears (2-1) saw a double-digit second-half lead whittled down in the final minutes. This time, though, Baylor had enough to hold on for a 72-63 win over the Texas State Bobcats before a Ferrell Center crowd of 7,640.
            "It was great for our team to win a game where there's pressure and where we had to focus and perform in the end," Baylor head coach Scott Drew said. "Hopefully, we can build on that so we can. Do a little bit better in the last five minutes."
            Part of the problem, Drew said, is Makai Mason, King McClure and Mario Kegler handled most of those end-of-the-game situations a year ago. Now, it falls on sophomore point guard Jared Butler, transfers Davion Mitchell and MaCio Teague and former junior college transfer Devonte Bandoo.
            "Now, we have different people, so it takes them a little time to get used to things down the stretch," Drew said. "I love to teach film after a win rather than a loss."
            Baylor jumped out to a 19-6 lead in the first eight minutes of the game and then had a 20-2 run at the start of the second half that included back-to-back baskets by 6-9 senior forward Freddie Gillespie, who recorded his second-straight and seventh career double-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high-tying four steals.
            But each time, Texas State (2-2) didn't go away, rallying to tie it up at 30-30 at the break and then getting back within six late in the game after the Bears went up by as many as 18.
            "They had two runs on us in the first half and second half," said Texas State head coach Danny Kaspar, a former Baylor assistant who led an SFA team to a 79-57 win over Drew in his first season at Baylor. "I was pleased with our guys making a spirited comeback on both occasions, particularly in the first half. But, Baylor's very good on the perimeter."
            Baylor's backcourt accounted for three of the Bears' five double-figure scorers, led by Butler with 15 points.
            "We have a lot of weapons, a lot of depth, and it shows," said Butler, who was 5-of-13 overall, 2-of-7 from outside the arc and 3-for-3 from the line.
            Filling in for 6-10 junior Tristan Clark, who was sitting out after a non-operation procedure on his knee, 6-5 junior forward Mark Vital had 10 points, five boards and two monstrous blocks.
            "Obviously, we're a much better team when he's out there," Drew said. "Even if he's not scoring, people are giving him so much attention. I thought Freddie did a great job, really stepped up. I thought Matt (Mayer) gave us really good minutes, Flo (Thamba) gave us great minutes and Mark played his usual hard self."
            Teague (12 points, five assists) and Bandoo (11 points) also scored in double figures, with Teague nailing a late 3-pointer that ended an 11-0 run by Texas State after the Bobcats whittled an 18-point deficit down to just six, 61-55.
            That step-back trey by Teague with 3:27 left might have been the play of the game for the Bears, who lost a 13-point, second-half lead in falling to Washington, 67-64, last Friday in Anchorage, Alaska.
            "MaCio is one of those guys that really like big shots and big moments," Drew said. "He's one of those guys that really likes big shots and big moments. We've got a couple of those guys. That's part of the learning process this time of the year. You've got three or four guys that want that shot, and you're fine with any of them shooting it. You just want a good shot."
            Caleb Asberry knocked down the Bobcats' sixth 3-pointer of the night, pulling back within 66-60 with 1:08 left in the game. Vital got a dunk off a feed from Teague and then knocked down a pair of free throws that sealed it.
            Nijal Pearson hit four of Texas State's six made 3-pointers and scored 20 points, while Asberry scored 12 and Martin Davis added 11 for the Bobcats. Isiah Small, a 6-8 junior forward, had six points and 12 rebounds for the Bobcats.
            Baylor (2-1) heads back on the road for the Myrtle Beach Invitational Nov. 21-24 in Conway, S.C., facing Ohio University in the opening round at 3:30 p.m. CST next Thursday, Nov. 21.