Maston sparkles on Senior Night, Baylor beats Oklahoma 87-64
Baylor makes easy work of Oklahoma
Despite Trae Young's efforts, scoring 18 points to pass Michael Beasley for the most regular-season points in Big 12 history, his struggles were apparent as the Baylor Bears rolled to an 87-64 win.
WACO, Texas -- If Scott Drew could design the perfect Senior Night, it would look a lot like what his Baylor team did Tuesday.
The Bears got 67 points from their five seniors, led by Terry Maston's 23, and they beat cold-shooting Oklahoma 87-64.
"You're just happy as a coach for your seniors to play that well," Drew said. "When coaches think of Senior Nights, that's what they think of. Seniors winning, all playing well, all contributing, all being able to have a great last memory."
Maston made his first career start on Senior Night, his 102nd game played for the Bears, and made the most of it with a 10-for-14 shooting night despite being saddled with three fouls in the first half. Baylor shot 51 percent as a team and controlled the boards, 44-29.
"It was an honor, and it felt a little weird being out there at the beginning of the game," Maston said. "But at the end of the day, I'm just glad we got the win and I could provide whatever my team needed."
Jo Lual-Acuil had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Bears (18-12, 8-9 Big 12), who also received 16 points from Manu Lecomte.
"We couldn't have asked for a better Senior Night," Lual-Acuil said. "After the shoot-around, the seniors stayed back, all five of us, we stayed in the locker room and just spoke for about 10 minutes on what we wanted to accomplish today, what kind of leadership is required to win the game."
Oklahoma made both of its shots from the floor in the opening minute to break out to a 5-0 lead but missed its next 15, and 19 of its next 20. The Sooners were 5 for 25 in the first half and finished shooting 38 percent for the game.
"Pretty much every phase was poor. We had some looks early that didn't go, and I think that bothered us a little bit," Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said. "We had trouble finishing at the rim, and loose balls and rebounds. I thought Baylor clearly dominated those areas."
Baylor took advantage with a 22-2 run that took it from trailing 10-9 to leading 31-12 despite four of its players picking up two fouls apiece in the game's first eight minutes.
Trae Young scored 18 to lead Oklahoma (17-12, 7-10), but that was a far cry from the 44 he dropped on the Bears in their first meeting. Young, the national leader in scoring and assists, had five assists and eight turnovers.
BIG PICTURE
Oklahoma: The Sooners were doubled up in the paint 52-26 and were only 12 of 21 from the free throw line, continuing their late-season slide. The Sooners have dropped seven of their last eight and will likely need to win their final regular season game and a game or two at the Big 12 Championships to find a way into the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor: The Bears have been up and down in recent weeks, following a five-game winning streak with two straight losses before Tuesday. The Bears' NCAA Tournament hopes would be bolstered greatly by a win against Kansas State, but they'll need to reverse their fortunes on the road, where they are 2-6 in the Big 12.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma closes the regular season at home against Iowa State on Friday.
Baylor goes on the road for its regular season finale against Kansas State on Saturday.
Game Information
- Referees:
- John Higgins
- Bert Smith
- Kipp Kissinger
2024-25 Southeastern Conference Standings
2024-25 Big 12 Conference Standings
Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
---|---|---|---|
Iowa State | 0-0 | - | 10-1 |
Cincinnati | 0-0 | - | 10-1 |
West Virginia | 0-0 | - | 9-2 |
Arizona State | 0-0 | - | 9-2 |
BYU | 0-0 | - | 9-2 |
Colorado | 0-0 | - | 9-2 |
Kansas | 0-0 | - | 9-2 |
Texas Tech | 0-0 | - | 9-2 |
UCF | 0-0 | - | 9-2 |
Houston | 0-0 | - | 8-3 |
Oklahoma State | 0-0 | - | 8-3 |
Utah | 0-0 | - | 8-3 |
Baylor | 0-0 | - | 7-3 |
TCU | 0-0 | - | 7-4 |
Arizona | 0-0 | - | 6-5 |
Kansas State | 0-0 | - | 6-5 |