Baylor Bears Narrowly Edged Out by Iowa State Cyclones in Big 12 Quarterfinal

In a closely contested Big 12 quarterfinal, the Baylor Bears, ranked 17th, fell to the unranked Iowa State Cyclones with a final score of 62-67. The Bears' season record now stands at an impressive number-number, while the Cyclones improved their standing after this recent victory.

The game started off strong for the Baylor Bears as they matched the Cyclones point-for-point in the first quarter, both teams scoring 20. However, momentum shifted slightly in favor of Iowa State during the second quarter with Baylor managing only 11 points compared to Iowa State's 16. The third quarter saw a resurgence from Baylor as they outscored Iowa State by seven points, but it was not enough to secure a lead going into the final stretch where they were outpaced once again.

The Bears showcased tenacity on defense with a total of two blocks and eleven steals throughout the game. Offensively, they struggled from beyond the arc with an overall three-point shooting percentage of just 27 percent but managed to convert eight three-pointers. Inside scoring was more effective for Baylor as they accumulated twenty-two points in paint and capitalized on turnovers by adding twenty-five points off them.

Despite their efforts and maintaining an assists-turnover ratio of 1.38, field goal accuracy was not on their side; shooting only thirty-one percent from field goals and thirty-three percent for two-point attempts proved challenging for Baylor's offense.

On personal rebounding efforts, Baylor players pulled down thirty-five rebounds – thirteen offensive and twenty-two defensive – contributing to their total count of thirty-eight rebounds which fell short against Iowa State's forty-five rebounds.

For Iowa State Cyclones' part, they demonstrated efficiency on offense with higher percentages across all shot types: forty-seven percent field goal accuracy including fifty-three percent two-point shooting and an impressive ninety-one percent from free-throw line which played a critical role in their victory over Baylor. Their playmaking ability shone through as well with twenty assists leading to better ball movement and scoring opportunities.

As fans look forward to future games featuring these competitive teams, it is important to note that despite this loss for Baylor Bears at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City – where no home-court advantage could be claimed due to its neutral site nature – there remains much anticipation around how both teams will perform moving forward into subsequent rounds or next season’s matchups.