WACO, Texas – Arizona lost a battle with adversity for the first time Saturday, but it didn’t have anything to do with playing a true road game.
Bolstered by the cheers of its Texas-based fans and alums – while Baylor’s fans were distracted by the Big 12 football championship – the Wildcats instead struggled with a more immovable force in a 63-58 loss to Baylor.
That is, the Bears themselves.
The same issue UA had against Baylor a year ago.
Although Arizona held Baylor to 30.4% shooting, the Bears outrebounded UA 39-32 and turned 13 offensive rebounds into 12 second-chance points. At McKale Center last season, Baylor outrebounded UA 51-19 and scored 19 second=chance points on 19 offensive rebounds.
While the rebounding differential wasn’t as bad this time, Arizona compounded things with ever worse shooting. The Wildcats made just 2 of 18 3-pointers and went over 10 minutes in the second half without hitting a single field goal, although that streak ended on what became a five-point play that cut Baylor’s lead to just one with 1:49 left.
On that play, Jemarl Baker hit a 3-pointer while Zeke Nnaji was pushed underneath the basket, then hit two free throws to cut Baylor’s lead to 57-56.
But MaCio Teague hit two free throws when he was fouled by Nnaji on the other end and Jared Butler hit 1 of 2 with 35 seconds left to put the Bears up by four. Baylor went into a zone defense for UA’s next possession, with Chase Jeter blocked on a four-footer, before Nico Mannion threw in a six-foot runner with 12 seconds left to make it 60-58.
Teague then picked up a foul and hit 1of 2 free throws with 11.8 seconds left, to put Baylor up 61-58 before Josh Green missed a 3-pointer from the left corner with a second left. Butler then hit two free throws to seal Baylor’s win.
Mannion led the Wildcats with 15 points and five assists, though he mostly scored at the line. Mannion was just 3 for 14 from the field but hit all eight free-throws he took.
Earlier in the week, both Green and Mannion missed considerable practice time this week with health issues.
Mannion suffered back tightness and spasms in the Wooden Legacy event last weekend and missed three practices earlier this week, UA trainer Justin Kokoskie said, while Green also sat out two practices with a strep throat and an accompanying virus.
Green had eight points on 3 for 9 shooting in 29 minutes and missed all three 3s he tried.
Kokoskie said both returned fully to practice on Friday after a long week of rehab, adding that Green lost 10 pounds at one point.
The Bears led by up to 18 points in the first half and 11 at halftime and led comfortably most of the second half until the Wildcats pulled close in the final minutes.
Arizona had its worst half of the season before halftime, trailing Baylor 35-24 at halftime.The Bears held the Wildcats to just 33.3% shooting -- and just 1 of 10 from 3-point range -- while forcing 11 UA turnovers in the first half.
The Bears shot 37.9% but made 5 of 13 from beyond the arc. MaCio Teague led Baylor in the half with 12 points and six rebounds while Mannion had eight points for Arizona.
During the first half Saturday, Arizona missed its first six 3-pointers and shot just 33.3% overall with seven turnovers through the first 12 minutes of the game, allowing Baylor to go on a 13-0 run that gave the Bears a 22-8 lead with 9:25 left.
In one particularly troubling sequence for the Wildcats, Baylor’s Mark Vital stole the ball from UA’s Chase Jeter inside, leading to an inside hook shot from Freddie Gillespie to make it 14-8. Then Zeke Nnaji threw the ball away inside, Gillespie collected it, and Baylor received a 3-pointer from Davonte Bandoo on the other end.
After Mannion then missed a jumper, Davion Mitchell hit another three to put Baylor up 20-8 and two free throws from Gillespie gave the Bears a 14-point lead.
The Wildcats played better defensively down the stretch of the half, with Baylor making only one of its final eight shots, but they couldn't cut the deficit to single digits.
