Baylor took a 3-0 lead 17 seconds into Saturday night’s game against OSU as the Bears (12-5, 2-3) held onto their lead and en route to a commanding 74-58 win. defended home court. Cowboys (9-8, 1-4).
After starting the game with a 13-0 run, the Cowboys cut the deficit to 2 points midway through the first half to get back into the contest.
“We dug a hole in ourselves,” coach Mike Boynton said.
But the 16-point loss is the Cowboys’ biggest loss of the season, so the pitiful shooting performance derailed any hopes that the comeback would follow.
The Cowboys entered Waco as the 239th-best team in 3-point percentage, shooting 32.65% over the arc of the season. Still, they attempted his 33 shots from the deep, but only his 7 shots connected, effectively shooting themselves out of the game.
“We had good looks in the first half, but it didn’t work out. We had some more success in the second half,” said Boynton. “We had to get better and more consistently on the attacking side.”
With Moussa Cisse missing three straight games with an ankle injury, the Cowboys were shorthanded in the rebounding department, with Baylor controlling the offensive and defensive glass and rebounding the Cowboys to a 41–30 record.
Despite Cisse’s absence, Boynton’s team enjoyed success in the paint, dropping to just under 24 points in total, further reinforcing their questionable attacking approach.
In the first two games without Cisse, senior big man Caribbean Boone played a key role in the Cowboys’ offense, averaging 12 field goal attempts and 19.5 points in those games. Against the Bears, however, Boone was a non-factor, finding the bottom of the net for the first time with three minutes remaining in the free throw. He attempted four field goals and only scored eight points in total. .
The Cowboys’ lack of offense within the perimeter also limited free-throw opportunities, shooting 5-8 from the line, while the Bears made 22 free throws, 15 of which were 15. sank.
With the loss, the Cowboys are slipping to 1-4 in conference play and are beginning to lose their place in the highly talented Big 12, with a home Bedlam matchup next on the schedule.
“I am confident that this team will resolve this issue quickly,” Boynton said.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
