Langston Love and the Bears face a potential second-round matchup against Duke after surviving Mississippi State on Friday. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Mississippi State looked primed for a late rally after trailing Baylor for the entire second half on Friday.
But Baylor survived a late look at a game-tying 3-point attempt to hold on for a 75-72 win in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The 9th-seeded Bears advance to take on the winner between No. 1 seed Duke and No. 16 seed Mount Saint Mary’s.
Baylor held a 59-49 lead with 8:39 remaining, but Mississippi State chipped away to make it a one-possession game in the final minute. The Bulldogs had a last look a a game-tying free 3-pointer after MSU’s VJ Edgecombe hit two free throws to extend the Bulldogs’ lead to 75-72.
But Claudell Harris Jr.’s effort from the left wing missed the mark with four seconds remaining, and the Bears held on for the win.
The No. 8 team in preseason AP Poll, Baylor entered the NCAA tournament as an unranked No. 9 seed after a 20-14 campaign that included a 3-5 finish down the stretch. But the Bears won and advanced on Friday thanks to beating Mississippi State on the boards and in turnover margin.
Baylor opened a 37-32 halftime lead that it extended to 10 points in the second half thanks in part to a 32-26 rebounding edge. Baylor also had a 14-9 margin in forced turnovers that combined with the rebounding edge led to a 62-52 edge in field goal attempts.
In the end, the Bears needed every bit of that edge as Mississippi State shot hot down the stretch on a 50% shooting day from the field to make it a game.
Robert Wright III led four Baylor players in double figures with 19 points. Edgcombe added 16 points and five rebounds, Norchad Omier tallied 12 points and nine rebounds and Langston Love posted 15 points, four rebounds and two steals while shooting 7 of 11 from the field.
Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard led all scorers with 26 points while shooting 4 of 9 from 3-point distance. Harris added 13 points, three rebounds and three steals, but his miss in the final seconds ensured that Mississippi State’s comeback effort would fall short.
The Bears move on to a potential second-round matchup with a dominant Duke team that’s one of the favorites to win the tournament. The Blue Devils have National Player of the Year candidate Cooper Flagg back for Friday’s game against Mount Saint Mary’s and would prove a difficult matchup for Baylor in the second round.
