Baylor’s Offensive Efficiency Too Much for Utah In Waco
Mar 7, 2026, 5:13 PM
Mar 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown (2) shoots as Baylor Bears guard Isaac Williams (10) defends during the first half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
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Waco, Tx. — Utah’s final game of the season had the feel of a team playing with little left to fight for. Baylor defeated the Utes, 101-75 and enjoyed a very efficient offensive outing.
To their credit, the Runnin’ Utes shot the ball well Saturday afternoon at Foster Pavilion. However, the defensive intensity and attention to detail never came close to meeting the level required to compete with the Bears.
Baylor took full advantage of that looseness, racing past Utah in the first half and never looking back.
The loss dropped Utah to 10–21 overall and 2–16 in Big 12 play, bringing a challenging first season in the conference to a close.
Utah’s solid start — but Baylor quickly control
Utah actually scored the game’s first basket, when Terrence Brown converted a transition layup less than five seconds into the game.
But that brief spark quickly gave way to Baylor’s offensive avalanche.
Behind hot shooting from Cameron Carr and Tounde Yessoufou, the Bears ripped off a series of runs midway through the first half. A three from Michael Rataj stretched the margin to double digits, and Baylor continued to pile on as Utah’s defensive rotations loosened and turnovers began to mount.
By halftime, Baylor led 53–33, shooting 21-of-31 from the field (68%) in the opening 20 minutes.
Utah’s offense was hardly the issue.
The Utes shot 55 percent in the first half and finished the game over 60 percent from the field, but Baylor’s efficiency — and Utah’s miscues — kept widening the gap.
Offensive Efficiency, Defensive Problems
Statistically, Utah turned in one of its better shooting performances of the season.
The Utes went 29-of-48 from the field (60.4%), 7-of-14 from three (50%), and 10-of-11 from the free throw line (90.9%).
This is only the ninth game in the last 30 years where Utah shot better than 55% and lost. But Baylor exceed that efficiency rather effortlessly because of Utah’s subpar defensive attention and effort.
The Bears finished 40-of-65 (61.5%), assisted on 22 baskets, and repeatedly attacked the rim. Utah’s defensive focus slipped, particularly in transition and off turnovers.
The Utes committed 16 turnovers, which Baylor converted into 31 points, a decisive margin in a game that never tightened after the first half.
Second Half: Open Gym
The second half quickly turned into something closer to an open run than a Big 12 conference game. Utah found offense easily — and Baylor did too.
Both teams scored with little resistance for long stretches. Utah shot 65 percent in the second half, while Baylor continued to move the ball freely and attack the paint.
The difference was that Baylor started the half with a 20-point cushion and never felt much pressure.
By the midpoint of the period, the Bears had pushed the lead back over 20, and the game drifted further into a back-and-forth scoring exchange before Baylor stretched the margin to 30 late in the game.
The pace, the shot-making, and the lack of consistent resistance defensively gave the half the unmistakable feel of a season winding down — possessions flowing quickly, points piling up, and neither team spending much time grinding out stops.
Key Performers
Baylor’s offensive balance proved too much.
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Tounde Yessoufou — 26 points
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Cameron Carr — 21 points
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Michael Rataj — 14 points
The Bears also controlled the paint, outscoring Utah 58–42 inside and winning the rebounding battle 26–19.
Meanwhile, Utah placed four players in double figures:
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Don McHenry — 20 points (8-of-12 FG)
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Terrence Brown — 16 points, 5 assists
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Keanu Dawes — 14 points (6-of-8 FG)
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Kendyl Sanders — 7 points off the bench
The Bottom Line
For Utah, the afternoon reflected the tone of a long season reaching its end.
The Utes played carefree and seflishly offensively — the shot-making showed that — but the defensive discipline and physical edge required in the Big 12 never quite materialized.
Against a Baylor team that shot over 60 percent and punished turnovers all afternoon, that combination made the result inevitable.
And so Utah’s season finale ended the way much of the season had unfolded: flashes of offensive ability, but defensive lapses and mistakes that the league’s competitive teams rarely let slide.
