The Baylor Bears got past No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats 64-55 and with it ended the Wildcats' 54-game run at Rupp Arena.
"They came in here and executed what they were supposed to be doing," the Associated Press quoted Kentucky freshman center Willie Cauley-Stein as saying. "I gave them credit for that.
"We shot ourselves in the foot. We didn't make shots and gave up easy plays that could have helped us in the end."
For the Bears, top scorer Pierre Jackson added 17 points, while Isaiah Austin and A.J. Walton scored 11 points apiece.
Kentucky displayed a poor show of shooting with just 30 percent, their worst under coach John Calipari.
"That's what happens when you have a bunch of freshmen out there," Calipari said.
For Kentucky, forward Alex Poythress scored 13 points, whereas Noel added 8 points. Kentucky players chipped in with 48 rebounds against the Bears' 37 and it was the only department in the game where they dominated the winners.
Baylor were trailing in the first 15 minutes, but Jackson's three-pointer changed the scene and they took a narrow lead 20-19 and closed the first half leading Kentucky 34-29.
The Bears followed their coach's strategy for a strong zone defense and forced Kentucky into 16 turnovers.
"We played zone defense," Drew said, "and I think in the past, last year when we played them we predominantly played the whole game in man defense and that didn't work out too well.
"So, we tried something different."
It was a sweet victory for Baylor as they were defeated by the Wildcats in last year's Elite Eight to clinch their eighth national title.
"It means a lot to us," Bears forward Cory Jefferson asserted, who scored 10 points. "We played them last year in the Elite Eight; everybody knows that did not go so well.
"We used that as motivation. We watched the film on everything we did wrong and practiced all throughout the week to be prepared for what we had to do against Kentucky."
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
