Texas men’s basketball drops defensive struggle at No. 6 Baylor

By Steve Lansdale

WACO, Texas — Forward Jericho Sims scored a team-high 13 points and pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds, and guard Courtney Ramey added 11 points, but it was not enough, as the Texas men’s basketball team fell to No. 6 Baylor, 59-44, in Waco in the Big 12 opener for each team.

The loss [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]dropped UT’s record to 10-3 overall, and 0-1 in Big 12 play, while the Bears improved to 11-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12.

Redshirt junior Baylor guard MaCio Teague led all scorers with a game-high 21 points, while Jared Butler added 13.

Sims’ 15 boards notwithstanding, the Bears enjoyed a lopsided advantage over the Longhorns on the glass, outrebounding Texas, 48-35.

As the low score suggests, the game was a defensive battle. Baylor blocked eight UT shots, while the Longhorns swatted away four. Both teams protected the ball relatively well; Texas turned the ball over 11 times, and the Bears eight. The difference, and one of the key differences in the outcome, is what each team did with those turnovers: Baylor scored 16 points off the Texas turnovers, while the Longhorns turned the eight BU turnovers into just five points.

The Longhorns played better in the second half, getting outscored by just two points, 23-21, after the intermission, but did so after falling behind, 36-23, after the first half.

Part of the reason for the closer game after halftime was UT’s improvement on the defense end of the floor: Baylor hit 13 of 33 field goals (39.39 percent) in the first half, including five of 13 three-point shots (38.46 percent). After the break, the Longhorns limited the Bears’ offense to 7-of-31 shooting (22.58 percent), including 0-for-4 shots from behind the three-point line after the intermission.

Sims’ double-double was his second in as many games, and his third this season.

Texas will be back in action at 8 pm.m. Wednesday when the Longhorns host Oklahoma at the Frank Erwin Center in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN2 and on the Longhorn Radio Network.
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