March Madness 2021 Arkansas vs Baylor There will be a Texan duel in one of the semifinals of NCAA basketball
Reuters
Baylor is back in the Final Four. 71 years later After their last appearance, the Bears served as favorites in the Southern Region. Now they didn’t win by double digits, but it was 81-72 against third-seeded Arkansas in the regional final.
Just like Houston did hours beforeIt was a bell to bell triumph. It took the Razorbacks 10 minutes to get used to Baylor’s size and speed and while they did make him interesting in the second half, the 18th hole they fell into was too deep to get out.
VITAL INCOMING pic.twitter.com/1yosKGhzZF
? CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 30, 2021
The Bears scored on their first three possessions and before the first time-out, they already had a double-digit advantage, with the Razorbacks scoring just one field goal in the first 5 minutes. With 11 minutes left in the half, the lead was 29-11.
Hot start for the Bears @BaylorMBB#MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/5W9Od53I2v
? NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 30, 2021
JD Notae and Jalen Tate combined for 18 of the Razorbacks’ next 22 to cut the lead. Baylor dried up on offense, with no field hits in the final four minutes of the half. to finish up only by 8 (46-38). He had left at the Lucas Oil.
Arkansas was patient for the second half, but with 13:38 to play, they lost their top scorer, Notae, through fouls, the last two within 20 seconds on both sides of the ball. Criticism was swift about coach Eric Musselman for failing to protect a key player with so much time to play.
But the Razorbacks did not lower their arms and continued with much activity on defense, leaving Baylor without field hits for another 4 minutes that allowed them to get close to 64-60 with 7:19 to play.
They couldn’t cut any more. There was no option to tie or take the lead. With Davion Mitchell pulling the strings and with of the opportune triples of MaCio Teague, Baylor opened the margin again to 11 going into the final time out of television.
MaCio Teague drains two HUGE threes @BaylorMBB#MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/YaEbMV6KWr
? NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 30, 2021
The mission ended up being impossible, with a Razorbacks field drought of over 6 minutes and Baylor play the Final Four for the first time since 1950 against another Texas college, the Houston Cougars.
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