Ridley, No. 24 Texas avoids Baylor dismayed bid


No. 24 Texas avoids collapse vs. Baylor to stay in Large 12 quest

Texas came home searching for a succeed and a boost to restore damaged assurance.

The 24th-ranked Longhorns obtained both, however not just before Baylor gave them a big panic that can have transformed a late-season swoon into full-scale collapse.

Cameron Ridley had 20 points and 10 rebounds and made a big protective play with a block in the last min as Texas held on for a 74-69 succeed Wednesday evening. Javan Felix scored 21 factors on seven 3-pointers for Texas, which led by 18 points in the very first half however saw Baylor draw within one late.

The succeed ended a skid that saw the Longhorns drop consecutive blowout losses at No. 15 Iowa State and No. 5 Kansas that popped their hopes of a Huge 12 title.

"As much progression as we've had this year, we can allow it escape us truly fast," shared Texas ahead Jonathan Holmes, that scored 14 points, featuring 8 straight in a crucial second-half stretch that assisted Texas shield the lead.

Isaiah Taylor buyinged 13 factors for the Longhorns (21-7, 10-5 Large 12), consisting of a turning left-handed layup that put them ahead 72-69. Ridley then shut out a layup by Kenny Chery before Taylor made two free throws that closed the succeed.

Chery buyinged 27 factors for Baylor (18-10, 6-9), which viewed its four-game winning streak snapped.

Ridley played the last 3 minutes with 4 fouls and saw Chery drive the street when he stepped up for the block.

"The entire game he was striking the container, placing his head down and firing the ball," Ridley shared of Chery. "I could tell the way he was driving he was visiting shoot.".

A seven-game winning streak early in the Huge 12 timetable established the Longhorns on Kansas' heels in the Huge 12 title chase until they shed 3 of five.

Texas looked comfy back in your home when Felix started firing up his 3-pointers with a quick-release, catch-and-shooting stroke that really did not offer protectors a chance to close on his shot.

The Longhorns led 16-13 when Felix's 4th 3-pointer started a 17-3 run that lasted virtually 8 mins. The Longhorns fired 51 percent in developing a 42-27 halftime lead.

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Baylor rallied with an 18-7 run to open up the 2nd half triggered by a 3-pointer by Chery and 2 additional from Brady Heslip that drew the Bears within 49-45. Baylor kept firing away over Texas' zone and kept cutting the lead. The Bears made 6 3-pointers in the second one-half.

"2nd fifty percent we came out physical. We just emerged fighting," Chery claimed.

Baylor pulled within 59-56 prior to Holmes rescued the Longhorns with the 8 successive factors, consisting of an acrobatic reverse layup when he got a rebound in midair and needed to twist his body in reverse merely to obtain off the go.

Holmes' burst put Texas up 67-60 and the Longhorns needed every point of the cushion over the last 4 mins. Cory Jefferson acquired the Bears within 70-69 with 1:37 to play prior to Taylor and Ridley lastly closed it for the Longhorns.

The loss could possibly verify to be a hard one for a Baylor group still trying to verify its NCAA tournament credentials. The Bears were placed as higher as No. 7 in early January but had a miserable beginning to seminar play with 6 losses in the initial 7 games.

The Bears after that succeeded five of their following 7. The loss implies the Bears can finish no better compared to.500 in the Large 12, but that could be adequate for the postseason thinking about the organization is placed as the toughest in the country this period.

"Our back's versus the wall and we understand we need to succeed games," Baylor train Scott Drew pointed out. "The Big 12 is the toughest I have actually directly seen top to bottom because I've been at Baylor.".