The No. 13 Baylor Bears had a successful start to their season, defeating the Oregon State Beavers 88-72 in the NIT Season Tip-Off. Led by senior guards MaCio Teague and Jared Butler, the Bears were able to come away with the victory.
Teague led the way for Baylor, scoring 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting. He also added four rebounds and four assists. Butler was also impressive, scoring 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He also had five rebounds and four assists.
The Bears were also able to get contributions from other players, including senior forward Freddie Gillespie, who had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Junior forward Mark Vital added 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
The Beavers were led by junior guard Ethan Thompson, who scored 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He also had four rebounds and three assists. Senior forward Tres Tinkle added 14 points and seven rebounds.
The Bears were able to take control of the game early, leading by as many as 16 points in the first half. They were able to maintain their lead throughout the second half, eventually winning by 16 points.
The win was a big one for the Bears, as it was their first win over a Power 5 opponent this season. It was also a good sign for the team, as they look to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament this season.
The Bears will now face No. 7 Villanova in the championship game of the NIT Season Tip-Off on Saturday night. They will look to continue their strong start to the season and come away with another big win.
