Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Baylor earns an important, hard fought win against Colorado, 72-60

ScottDrew

It’s games like these between two fringe Top 25 teams -- Baylor is ranked No. 25 in the AP Poll, while Colorado received 83 votes -- that make or break resumes come March. In Dallas on Friday evening, Baylor grinded out a 72-60 victory against Colorado. The Bears led for much of the game, and fended off a late Buffaloes rally to earn the win.

An aggressive statement to make in November on opening night already discussing tournament resumes? Yes, without question. But, how often do coaches and teams analyze their own resumes in March and stare at a game that is the difference between earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and being one of the last teams out, or even between a No. 5 seed and No. 8 seed? Colorado is going to have a good season, and this win will be a feather in Baylor’s cap.

Colorado wasn’t at their best tonight. Spencer Dinwiddie and Askia Booker -- two of Colorado’s top players -- combined to shoot 7-28 from the field; a performance like that from these two may not happen again this season. Nevertheless, this is a solid win for a Scott Drew and his Baylor squad looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament after missing out last year.

The much maligned Baylor defense over the past few seasons stood tall against Colorado allowing just 60 points on 31.8% shooting. Ironically enough, it was the defense and toughness -- how often can you say that about Baylor? -- that willed the Bears’ way to a win. Furthermore, Baylor found their point guard in the form of Kenny Chery who will fill the void Pierre Jackson left. Chery spent two seasons at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, MO prior to transferring to Baylor. Against Colorado, Chery stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists.

Colorado is a good basketball team -- a Top 25 caliber team. They didn’t look it tonight, but Dinwiddie and Booker are much better than they showed. It was an off night for the two -- and really for the entire team as a whole with the exception of Josh Scott -- but they will be fine going forward.

Follow @KLDoyle11