WACO, Texas — Utah got its first taste of Big 12 country on the basketball floor Tuesday afternoon.
The result? Well, it wasn’t pretty, though that was expected, as the Runnin’ Utes faced No. 25 Baylor in their first-ever Big 12 conference game.
The hometown Bears were too much for Utah to handle, as Baylor beat the Utes 81-56 at Foster Pavilion.
3 takeaways
Utah had an awful shooting day. The Utes simply had a bad day all around on the offensive end, as they shot 31.8% from the field and hit only 7 of 30 3-pointers.
Those shooting struggles extended to the free-throw line — an issue that’s plagued them for most of the season — as Utah made 7 of 13.
Gabe Madsen was held to 3 points on the day. While Hunter Erickson scored a team-high 13 points and added five rebounds and Mason Madsen had 10 points, the Utes scored more than 30 points under their season average.
Baylor enforced its will, and then some. The Bears are known for their ability to force turnovers, and they did just that against Utah.
The Utes gave up a season-high 17 turnovers in the game, and that led to the Bears owning a 22-8 edge in points off turnovers.
Baylor also did better on the offensive glass — with 14 offensive rebounds to 11 for Utah — and that led to a 16-8 advantage in second-chance points.
The Bears finished both halves shooting well, making five straight field goals to end the first half then hitting four straight to end the game. That helped Baylor end the day shooting 40.6% for the game.
True freshman VJ Edgecombe had a game-high 19 points to lead four Bears in double-figures, while Norchad Omier added a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Two big first-half runs put the game away. Utah couldn’t have gotten off to much of a worse start, as the Utes fell behind 11-0 six minutes into the game and missed their first six field goal attempts.
The Utes fought their way back into the game and cut the deficit to 15-12 with 8:31 to play in the first half, but after that, Baylor pulled away for good as the Bears went on a 22-5 run. Utah had five turnovers in that critical stretch.
What’s next
Utah (8-4, 0-1 Big 12) will return home this weekend to host its first Big 12 conference game, as the Utes play Texas Tech on Saturday. The game tips off at 5 p.m. MST and will be streamed on ESPN+.
The Red Raiders are coming to town after losing at home to UCF 87-83 on Tuesday.