WACO, Texas — Freshman Ja’Kobe Walter scored all 14 of his points in the second half to lift No. 14 Baylor to a 62-59 win over Cincinnati on Saturday night to stay atop the Big 12 standings with a 3-0 record.
Walter helped seal the win for the Bears (14-2, 3-0 Big 12) with a pair of free throws with 9.8 seconds remaining after drawing a foul following Simas Lukosius’ missed 3-pointer. Lukosius also missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds.
“It was a big key defending him,” Cincinnati coach Wes Miller said of Walter. “Defending him at the 3-point line was a massive key. I thought John Newman was terrific on him. Then we made some errors getting through some screens later in the game and gave him some good looks.”
Baylor withstood a 24-point performance by Cincinnati’s Dan Skillings Jr. and Day Day Thomas added 15.
Langston Love contributed 14 points for Baylor and RayJ Dennis collected 11 points and nine assists.
“We just got the rebounds and we made free throws when we needed to make them down the stretch,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “At the end of the day, we’re going to learn a lot during this season and the Big 12 helps you do that. Hopefully if you’re blessed to get to postseason, you’ve seen and experienced tight games and you know what you need to do. Doesn’t guarantee you’re going to win, but at least that experience is something that is beneficial.”
Tied 27-27 at halftime, the Bearcats (12-4, 1-2) took the ball to the basket forcefully to open the second half as Viktor Lakhin got in the paint twice for baskets while Thomas and Skillings also scored inside to open up a 38-31 lead.
Cincinnati guard Josh Reed (10) and Baylor forward Jalen Bridges (11) chase the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, in Waco, Texas. Credit: AP/Jerry Larson
But the Bears answered with an 11-0 run to grab a 42-38 edge as Walter scored his first points of the game by nailing a pair of free throws and…
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