WACO, Texas — In a decisive showing, Tobe Awaka contributed significantly with 14 points and 12 rebounds, enabling No. 19 Arizona to secure a 74-67 victory over Baylor on Monday evening, thereby claiming sole possession of second place in the Big 12 Conference.
Both Caleb Love and Henri Veesaar supported the team effort with 13 points each for the Wildcats (18-8, 12-3), bouncing back from consecutive losses last week to Kansas State and No. 5 Houston, which had dropped them six spots in the earlier AP Top 25 rankings.
VJ Edgecombe led the scoring for the Bears (16-10, 8-7) with an impressive 24 points. Norchad Omier also made his mark with 15 points and 13 rebounds, marking his 82nd career double-double and 14th of the season, while Jayden Nunn added 10 points to the total.
Arizona established control going into halftime, leading 41-33 after mounting an effective run. Although Baylor managed to close the gap to within three points on two occasions in the last minute, Arizona was able to maintain composure and seal the game by converting seven consecutive free throws in the final 49 seconds, shooting 9 of 12 during the last minute and 21 seconds of play.
In their first season within the Big 12, Arizona managed to achieve a regular-season sweep over Baylor. The Wildcats now sit just behind conference-leading Houston (21-4, 13-1) and hold a slim half-game advantage over No. 9 Texas Tech (20-5, 11-3).
On the other side, Baylor has experienced an inconsistent run, alternating wins and losses in their last eight games, with this being their first home loss during that stretch, as their home record stands at 12-2.
A crucial moment in the game occurred when Carter Bryant turned the ball over twice in quick succession for Arizona. This led to a 3-pointer followed by a defensive rebound that set up a fast-break layup for teammate Anthony Dell’Orso, who finished the night with 11 points. This sequence was part of a 12-3 run that put Arizona ahead 41-31 as the half drew to a close.
A notable statistic to consider is that the Wildcats now boast a 6-3 record in true road games this season and have achieved a 28-14 record under the leadership of fourth-year coach Tommy Lloyd.
Looking ahead, Arizona will be back at home this Saturday to face BYU, while Baylor is set to travel to Colorado, marking their first matchup since January 2010.
