The No. 7 Baylor Bears (22-8, 11-6 Big 12) host the Iowa State Cyclones (17-12, 8-9 Big 12) Saturday in a matchup that pits outstanding offense against suffocating defense.
Iowa State was edged out by the West Virginia Mountaineers 72-69 at James H. Hilton Coliseum on Monday, their fourth consecutive loss. Gabe Kalscheur had a standout performance in defeat with 26 points.
The Cyclones are sixth in the Big 12 Conference. Baylor triumphed on Monday at Gallagher-Iba Arena, beating the Oklahoma State Cowboys 74-68.
Dale Bonner and LJ Cryer tallied 15 points each to top the scoresheet. With 13 points and six assists, Adam Flagler also played a part. The Bears remain third in the Big 12 Conference.
The teams are meeting for the last time this season. Iowa State will be pursuing a season sweep against Baylor after coming out on top in the only earlier matchup 77-62 at James H. Hilton Coliseum in December 2022. Kalscheur led the Cyclones with 23 points. Flagler had 20 points in the losing effort.
Jaren Holmes and Kalscheur, averaging 13.1 and 12.8 points per game, respectively, have led the Cyclones in scoring this season. Meanwhile, Osun Osunniyi is grabbing 4.1 rebounds per game, and Tamin Lipsey is dishing 4.6 assists.
Keyonte George and Flagler have supplied much of the Bears’ offense, averaging 15.7 and 14.4 points per game, respectively. Flagler also has recorded 4.6 assists per game.
Jalen Bridges has posted 5.8 rebounds per game. The Bears rank 18th in the country in offensive efficiency, while the Cyclones are 25th in defensive efficiency.
The Cyclones are only 1-9 in their last 10 games at Ferrell Center. In the last 10 games, Iowa State is 2-8 with an average margin of -4.5 (63.1-67.6).
For the season, the Cyclones are averaging 68.3 points per game, compared to 62.3 for opponents. Baylor has a 7-3 record over the last 10, scoring 75.1 points per game on average while holding opponents to 71.1 (+4.0 margin).
CYCLONES HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Tre King: 9.2 | 6.1 | +3.1
Caleb Grill: 2.4 | 12.8 | -10.4
Points per game:
Caleb Grill: 1.4 | 8.2 | -6.8
Assists per game:
Jaren Holmes: 2.4 | 3.2 | -0.8
BEARS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Keyonte George: 15.2 | 22.7 | -7.5
Points per game:
Keyonte George: 9.8 | 15.7 | -5.9
Assists per game:
Keyonte George: 1.8 | 2.8 | -1.0
SportsTips’ College Basketball Pick:
Baylor -7.5 (-110)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
