Baylor Bears Grapple with Iowa State Cyclones at T-Mobile Center
10-2 Baylor Bears fell short against the unranked Iowa State Cyclones in a closely contested match, ending with a score of 78-72. The Bears, who led the first half with 41 points to the Cyclones' 38, could not maintain their momentum and were outscored in the second half.
The Baylor Bears showcased a remarkable shooting performance from beyond the arc, converting 14 of their three-point attempts at an impressive rate of 48 percent. Their free throw accuracy was also noteworthy as they made 12 out of 13 attempts, translating to an exceptional 92 percent success rate. Despite these efforts, it was not enough to secure victory.
The team's offensive rebounds were limited to just three compared to Iowa State's significant haul of twenty. This discrepancy contributed heavily to the Cyclones' advantage in second-chance points which tallied up to twenty-two. On defense, Baylor managed only two blocks throughout the game while Iowa State put up six rejections.
Baylor's ball handling resulted in eleven turnovers; however, they capitalized on turnovers by scoring thirteen points off them. The assist-to-turnover ratio for Baylor stood at a respectable figure of approximately one point one.
On the opposing side, Iowa State demonstrated strong inside play with fifty-five percent shooting on two-point field goals and thirty-six points scored in the paint. Their overall field goal percentage was just under fifty percent. The Cyclones also excelled on defense with nine steals matching that of Baylor and showed resilience by pulling down forty-four total rebounds.
As both teams fought hard on court evidenced by eight times tied and six lead changes during playtime at Kansas City's T-Mobile Center before an audience of eighteen thousand three hundred four spectators; it was ultimately Iowa State who emerged victorious.
Looking ahead for fans of Baylor Bears basketball: tune into future broadcasts as your team continues its journey through this season’s games seeking redemption after this challenging encounter against Iowa State Cyclones.