Arizona had a sluggish first half and had to rally from a 10-point second-half deficit to earn an 87-80 win at Baylor on Tuesday night. The guards carried Arizona as Jaden Bradley led the Wildcats with 25 points and Brayden Burries scored 24.
Baylor shot 53.6 percent in the first half to take a 41-34 halftime lead. Arizona was abysmal defensively in the first half as Baylor outscored the Wildcats 22-12 in points in the paint in the first half. Bradley scored 13 and Burries 10 in the first half.
Tounde Yessoufou made a three-point shot to open the second half and extend the Baylor lead to 44-43. Arizona went on a 14-2 run in the next 4:35 to take its first lead since 10-8. The game remained a four-point margin until Arizona gradually pulled away in the final 4:22.
Arizona improved offensively significantly in the second half, outscoring Baylor 53-39. The Wildcats outrebounded the Bears 23-11 in the second half, had a 15-7 edge in second chance points and a 24-18 advantage in points in the paint. Arizona got back to doing what it does best in the second half.
Arizona was still shorthanded
Arizona continued to play without freshmen forwards Dwayne Aristode and Koa Peat. Aristode did not make the trip with Arizona to Texas. Peat warmed up at Baylor on Tuesday night, but did not play. Guard Anthony Dell'Orso was a game-time decision for Arizona with a sprained ankle and scored eight points.
Tobe Awaka had 10 points and 13 rebounds and Motiejus Krivas had 12 points, four rebounds and one block. Tommy Lloyd utilized a six-man rotation in the second half, after Evan Nelson played six minutes and Sidi Gueye four in the first half.
Burries played 39 minutes on Tuesday night, Ivah Kharchenkov 37 and Bradley 35. Bradley and Burries played all 20 minutes in the second half, Kharchenkov 18 and Dell'Orso and Krivas 17. Cameron Carr led Baylor with 26 points, Isaac Williams scored 16 and Yessoufou finished with 12.