Ah my poor Bears. In the Quarterfinal round of the Big 12 tournament, Kansas State triumphed over my beloved Baylor 70-64. The Bears started off with a strong run including a dunk by junior F Jo Lual-Acuil to score the first points of the game. Unfortunately, the Bears struggled offensively throughout the entirety of the game with their best shooter in junior G Manu Lecomte sitting out for a majority of play. Lecomte has had difficulty draining balls with an injured ankle after the Kansas game, forcing sophomore G Jake Lindsey to start. The Bears were only making 44% of their field goals and 37.5% of their three’s in the first half while Kansas State shot 41.7% and 33.3%, respectively. With both teams bumbling around on offense in the first half, the game was tied 25-25 at the half.
Lecomte made strides in the second half, hitting three’s and knocking down jumpers with ease. Unfortunately, the Bears didn’t have enough time left in the game for Lecomte’s efforts to make a difference. Kansas State’s players were making almost every three and kept full control of the game until the end. In the second half, the Wildcats made 13-20 field goals and 3-5 three’s, while the Bears made 14-30 and 4-9, respectively. F D.J. Johnson, G Kamau Stokes and G Barry Brown were Kansas State’s impact players who challenged Baylor every chance they could.
The Bears will need a lot of rest and recovery for the upcoming NCAA tournament, but their resume and record against ranked teams gives me hope for their championship bid!
