But they couldn’t counter Baylor’s depth after halftime. 22 UConn 64-60 by closing the game on a 9-0 run. They had to grind their way through their first two games in the Bahamas by beating Loyola Chicago 63-61 on a last-second alley-oop dunk by Marcus Bingham Jr., and then beating No. Michigan State: The Spartans hadn’t lost since falling to fourth-ranked Kansas in the Champions Classic season opener. Baylor has now won 13 straight dating to last year’s title run in the Indianapolis bubble.
They appeared to be headed for another close one, but their balance and athleticism allowed them to pounce when the Spartans made mistakes. Unfortunately I had to watch them from the other side.”īaylor: The Bears beat Arizona State 75-63 in Wednesday’s first round, and then earned a 69-61 win against VCU in Thursday’s semifinals, with that result marking their first game decided by a single-digit margin. ”But these guys seem to do it with a purpose. ”I was really impressed, as I was with UConn,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. The Bears used an 8-0 run to stretch out to a double-digit lead, ending when Akinjo corralled a thrown-away inbounds pass against pressure by Tyson Walker and buried a 3-pointer to make it 55-42 with 13:57 left.īaylor never let Michigan State within single digits again, improving to 6-0 all-time at Atlantis going back to its 2016 championship run. Gabe Brown scored 13 points for the Spartans, who shot just 37% and missed all seven of their 3-pointers after halftime. ”So once we were able to assert ourselves, we knew we could get things going.” ”We know how we want to play out there,” said Adam Flagler, who scored 11 points. The Bears (7-0) looked dominant as they took control early in the second half, throwing some full-court defensive looks at the Spartans (5-2) and capitalizing on their mistakes.īy the end, Baylor had turned a 38-36 halftime lead into a romp, with four double-figure scorers and three others with eight points. It has been the right mix for Drew after losing four starters, including Davion Mitchell as the No. Cryer has gone from averaging 3.4 points last year to 15.8 entering Friday and forward Matthew Mayer is seeing a larger starting role after being a top sub. There is a five-star freshman and McDonald’s All-American in Kendall Brown, and another talented rookie forward in Jeremy Sochan.Īmong the returnees, L.J. Akinjo went through Georgetown and Arizona before finding his way to Waco. Look around the roster and there are plenty of examples. We’ve had a rotation and then the big thing as coaches when you get new players, they start to trust each other.” ”To win a championship, you’ve got to have a team, you’ve got to have a bench. ”There’s no great NBA team with one player,” said Drew, his voice hoarse after three games in three days. The sixth-ranked Bears have a different look from last year’s national championship team, but the results seem familiar – down to Scott Drew’s club celebrating another title-clinching victory.Īkinjo scored 15 points and Baylor beat Michigan State 75-58 on Friday for the Battle 4 Atlantis championship, using a balanced lineup to earn yet another lopsided win to start the season. Around him bounced talented freshmen and multiple guys thriving in larger roles. High 32, low 26.Ĭhance of precipitation: 7%.PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP)James Akinjo held the MVP trophy as he danced on the court in a crowd of his new Baylor teammates. Wind 11 mph from the WNW Thursday November 22
High 37, low 28.Ĭhance of precipitation: 21%. Wind 11 mph from the WNW Wednesday November 21 High 38, low 30.Ĭhance of precipitation: 44%. Wind 2 mph from the NNW Tuesday November 20
High 41, low 36.Ĭhance of precipitation: 26%.
If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app download the free Patch Android app here. (For more news like this, find your local Patch here. Plan your holiday week using the day-by-day forecast below. Saturday and Sunday should keep the mild warm spell, with highs in the 50s. If current forecasts hold, Friday should have a high of 46 degrees, and little chance of snow. Skies should stay clear through Thursday night, even as temperatures drop slightly into the 20s.īlack Friday shoppers should get a nice blast of sudden warmth, though. Thanksgiving should be partly sunny, with a high of 32 degrees.