Baylor Blows Out Villanova in Big 12-Big East Battle
The No. 2 Baylor Bears staked their claim to the nation’s No. 1 ranking as they defeated No. 6 Villanova, 57-36, in the latest game of the Big 12-Big East Battle on Sunday.
The Bears (9-0) appear to be in line to move to the No. 1 ranking the AP Top 25 on Monday, based on Sunday’s win, coupled with current No. 1 Purdue’s loss to Rutgers.
Villanova is now 0-3 against Baylor under head coach Jay Wright. The Bears now have the nation’s longest winning streak at 14 games.
Baylor’s defense was the key to the victory. The Bears held the Wildcats 22.2 percent shooting from the floor and limited Villanova to just 10 free-throw attempts. Baylor out rebounded Villanova, 42-35, and forced 13 Wildcat turnovers as they built a 25-15 lead at halftime.
James Akinjo led Baylor with 16 points, while Adam Flagler added 10 points. Freshman Jeremy Sochan fouled out, but not before nearly netting a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.
Justin Moore was the only Wildcat that hit double figures, scoring 15 points and grabbing six rebounds. Baylor held Collin Gillespie to six points and five rebounds.
The Bears travel to Eugene, Oregon, to face Oregon next Saturday.
The Big 12-Big East Battle concludes next Saturday when TCU travels to Georgetown.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
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Big 12-Big East Battle Schedule, Results
Wednesday, December 1
Providence 72, Texas Tech 68
Friday, December 3
Kansas 95, St. John’s 75
Saturday, December 4
Iowa State 64, Creighton 58
Sunday, December 5
Xavier 77, Oklahoma State 71
Tuesday, December 7
Butler 66, Oklahoma 62
Wednesday, December 8
West Virginia 56, UConn 53
Marquette 64, Kansas State 63
Thursday, December 9
Seton Hall 64, Texas 60
Sunday, December 12
Baylor 57, Villanova 36 (Big East Up, 5-4)
Friday, December 18
TCU at Georgetown, 1 p.m., FS1
All times central
