WACO, Texas — Freshman VJ Edgecombe delivered an impressive performance by scoring 20 of his career-high 30 points in the latter half, leading Baylor to a 70-62 victory over Kansas State on Wednesday night.

The Bears found themselves trailing by 12 when Dug McDaniel hit a 3-pointer, pushing the Wildcats ahead 40-28 with just under four minutes gone in the second half. Baylor’s comeback began when Jalen Celestine made two free throws, triggering a 19-5 run that shifted the momentum to a 55-40 lead for the Bears. During this stretch, Edgecombe contributed 11 points, including a crucial 3-pointer, while Celestine also connected on two 3s.

Though Kansas State’s Brendan Hausen nailed his third 3-pointer of the half, cutting Baylor’s lead to 57-56 with under five minutes remaining, both Celestine and Edgecombe rallied to extend the Bears’ advantage back to nine with just a minute left in the game. Celestine was vital, scoring 15 of his total 18 points in the second half. Additionally, Norchad Omier made an impact on the boards, securing 13 rebounds for Baylor (12-6, 4-3 Big 12 Conference).

On the Kansas State side, David N’Guessan contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds, but the team is struggling, having lost 15 consecutive games on the road and a total of six overall. McDaniel and Hausen also added 12 points each to the score for the Wildcats (7-11, 1-6). A strong effort from McDaniel helped Kansas State finish the first half with a 30-26 lead, buoyed by a 10-0 run where he hit a 3-pointer, Coleman Hawkins completed a three-point play, and McDaniel followed with a pair of layups.

While Baylor struggled in the first half with only 25% shooting, they rebounded in the second half, hitting 60% of their shots, including 5 of 8 from beyond the arc and converting 15 of 19 free throws, committing just one turnover.

In upcoming games, No. 23 West Virginia is set to face Kansas State on Saturday, while Baylor will take on Utah.