Three Thoughts on Baylor’s 92-67 Win Over Colgate
On Friday, the Baylor Bears defeated the Colgate Raiders, 92-67, in the first round of the West Region of the NCAA Tournament in Memphis, Tennessee.
Baylor’s offense started off hot in the first half, leading 54-34 at halftime. Senior forward Jalen Bridges led all scorers with 23 points and headlined an impressive cast of scorers from the Bears. Baylor advances to take on the winner of No. 6 Clemson and No. 11 New Mexico, while Colgate’s tournament run ends in the opening round for the fifth season in a row.
Here are three thoughts on the game and what it means for both teams.
BAYLOR’S DOMINANT OFFENSE
Baylor’s impressive performance was highlighted by four players who scored double-digit points. The guard trio of Jayden Nunn, RayJ Dennis, and Ja’Kobe Walter were joined in double figures by senior forward Jalen Bridges, who led the team with a signature day.
Bridges led all scorers with 23 points on 9-14 shooting from the field while going 5-8 from three. He was followed by Ja’Kobe Walter with 19, Jayden Nunn with 15, and RayJ Dennis with 10. In the first NCAA Tournament game of his career, freshman phenom Ja’Kobe Walter put up an impressive stat line of his own with 19 points, 15 of which came in the first half. RayJ Dennis fell one assist shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine assists in a dominant outing from Baylor.
INJURIES TO WATCH
While the Bears took care of Colgate with relative ease, they did get some unfortunate news regarding the health of one of their key players. Before tip, reports on sophomore guard Langston Love mentioned that the Texas native is out for the opening weekend and is doubtful for the remainder of the NCAA Tournament.
In addition to Love, head coach Scott Drew noted that freshman center Yves Missi left the game early in the first half due to a back injury. Missi eventually returned to action ahead of the halftime break but would see just 16 minutes. Sophomore forward Josh Ojianwuna stepped up in relief of Missi and recorded eight points and seven boards in 22 minutes of action. Scott Drew mentioned that Missi is a “tough kid” during a timeout conversation with CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. Still, with the Bears facing some tough opponents in the Round of 32, Missi’s status will be a major talking point going forward.
DON’T FEAR THE RAIDERS
For Raiders fans, Friday’s loss to Baylor became one of many disappointing tournament trips to the Big Dance. It was the seventh-straight loss in the NCAA Tournament, dropping the school’s all-time record to 0-7 in March Madness.
Colgate finished with three players in double digits, with Keegan Records, Sam Thomson, and Braeden Smith combining for 35 points. Unfortunately for the Raiders, Baylor’s offense was too much to handle. The Bears’ 92-point performance is the first time that Colgate has allowed more than 67 points in the last 18 games.
