No. 1 Baylor stays undefeated with win in top-10 clash over No. 8 Iowa State
Final: No. 1 Baylor, No. 8 Iowa State
There are now just three undefeated teams remaining in DI men's college basketball. On Saturday afternoon on the first day of 2022, No. 1 Baylor went to Ames, Iowa, and handed No. 8 Iowa State a 77-72 loss in a game in which both teams entered with a 12-0 record. The Bears won their first-ever national championship last season, while the Cyclones lost their final 18 games of the 2020-21 season as part of a two-win campaign, yet they've been one of the surprise teams through the first two months of the 2022 campaign.
While Iowa State's 9-0 run late in the second half cut Baylor's lead to five, the Bears' consistent and timely shooting, particularly from the midrange and behind the arc proved to be too much for the Cyclones to overcome. Adam Flagler's jumper with 1:52 to play put Baylor back up by seven points and Iowa State never got closer than five points the rest of the way, as the Bears made four free throws in the final 30 seconds.
Iowa State, which missed its first seven 3-pointers of the game and all six of its attempts from deep in the second half finished the game just 1-for-14 from deep (7.1 percent). Caleb Grill made Iowa State's only 3-pointer, while Baylor made 7-of-17 attempts from deep, including LJ Cryer's three 3-pointers off the bench. Iowa State's Tristan Enaruna was the game's leading scorer with 23 points, including nine points in a row for Iowa State in crunchtime in the second half, while Baylor's James Akinjo scored a team-high 16 on an afternoon in which four Bears scored in double figures.
Iowa State goes on 9-0 run to cut deficit to five
Jeremy Sochan's three puts Baylor up 14
Flagler's contested layup puts Baylor up by 11
Baylor calls timeout after Iowa State steal and score cuts deficit to six
James Akinjo goes coast-to-coast, scores in transition
Halftime: No. 1 Baylor 41, No. 8 Iowa State 33
In a battle of two of the four remaining unbeatens in DI men's college basketball, top-ranked Baylor took a 41-33 lead into halftime over No. 8 Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, as James Akinjo's pull-up, midrange jumper in the final seconds of the first half put the Bears up by eight. The play was synonymous with the difference in the first half, as Baylor made seven midrange jumpers and floaters in the first half, along with four 3-pointers, while Iowa State has made just three shots from outside of the restricted arc.
While both teams had similar shooting percentages in the first half – Baylor made 48.5 percent of its shots, compared to Iowa State's 46.2-percent shooting – the midrange and long-range shooting was the difference. The Cyclones made just 1-of-8 3-point attempts and they didn't sink their first three of the game until there was 2:02 left in the first half.
Akinjo scored a team-high 10 points in the first half, including both of his 3-point attempts, and center Flo Thamba has nine points on 3-of-5 shooting. Iowa State guard Izaiah Brockington has scored a first-half-high 12 points.
Iowa State's Grill makes team's first 3-pointer of the day
Kendall Brown's steal and slam puts Baylor up by 10
Baylor swings ball to James Akinjo for three late in shot clock
Another 3 drained by Akinjo!
— Baylor Men’s Basketball (@BaylorMBB) January 1, 2022
BU 25, ISU 18 | 7:05 1H#SicEm | #CultureofJOY pic.twitter.com/79lRkADjfs
No. 1 Baylor's lead over No. 8 Iowa State grew to seven points when Adam Flagler swung the ball to James Akinjo on the right wing for an open three as the shot clock was winding down to put the Bears ahead 25-18. It was Baylor's third 3-pointer of the game, while Iowa State has started 0-for-6 from deep.
Iowa State's Izaiah Brockington dunks on Jeremy Sochan
George Conditt IV blocks 3-pointer, slams home dunk in transition
Iowa State forward George Conditt IV brought the home fans to their feet when he blocked a 3-pointer by Baylor's Adam Flagler, then Conditt ran the floor where his teammate Caleb Grill dished off an underhanded two-handed pass for a massive dunk in transition to tie the game at eight.
Conditt slam forces a Baylor timeout.
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) January 1, 2022
ISU 8, BU 8 | 14:06 1H#Cyclones | #C5C
No. 1 Baylor takes an 8-6 lead into the under-16 timeout
At the first media timeout of Saturday's top-10 clash between No. 1 Baylor and No. 8 Iowa State, the Bears hold an 8-6 lead over the Cyclones on the road after making four of their first seven shots. Both teams are 0-for-2 from 3-point range with two turnovers apiece.
Baylor's Flo Thamba and Iowa State's Tristan Enaruna have four points apiece.
No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 8 Iowa State is now underway
Tune into ESPNU, where two of the four remaining undefeated Division I men's college basketball teams are squaring off as No. 8 Iowa State (12-0) hosts No. 1 Baylor (12-0) in Big 12 play.