Baylor Tops Oklahoma State

The Baylor Bears, playing without star sophomore Kevin Rogers, beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday, 86-82. Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears will look to ride the momentum into the Big 12 tournament.

The Baylor Bears, playing without sophomore starter Kevin Rogers, were still able to defeat the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday, 86-82. While JamesOn Curry was a one-man show for the Cowboys scoring 40 points, the Bears played as a team allowing 4 players to score in double digits.

Sophomore guard Curtis Jerrells led all Baylor scorers with 21 points, hitting on 4 of 5 shots from behind the arc. Jerrells was active all over the court pulling in 4 rebounds and racking up 7 assists. Fellow sophomore guard Henry Dugat scored 20 points also going 4 of 5 from three-point land. Dugat played tight defense most of the game causing several turnovers and fast-break opportunites for the Baylor Bears. Both Jerrells and Dugat had three steals each.

Perhaps the highlight for the Bears was junior forward Mark Shepherd. Shepherd, who got his first start in place of injured Kevin Rogers, played with unmatched intensity. Shepherd, also playing with an injured shooting hand, scored 8 points, pulled down 6 rebounds, and had one huge blocked shot.

The Bears have fought the injury bug all season, and only played with a 7 player rotation. Centers Mamadou Diene and Josh Lomers combined for 12 points and 5 rebounds. Junior guard Aaron Bruce, still not 100% from an injury to his ankle, played effectively in his 28 minutes on the floor. Bruce scored 13 points, perhaps none bigger than two free throws late in the game that iced the victory for the Bears. Bruce was 5 for 7 from the charity stripe, and hit 2 of 4 three point shots.

Freshman guard Demond Carter was the 4th Baylor Bears player to score in double digits, pouring in 12 points, 4 assists, and two steals.

The Baylor Bears led most of the game, and at one time held an 18 point advantage in the second half. Oklahoma State's JamesOn Curry almost single-handedly brought the Cowboys back hitting 12 of 18 shots, and going 7 of 10 from beyond the arc. However, JamesOn Curry's effort was not enought, as the Baylor Bears closed out the game with a victory.

The next game for the Bears will be in the Big 12 Tournament, and at the time of publication, their opponent has not yet been determined.