15th-ranked Baylor blasts San Diego in Classic
Five players scored in double figures for No. 15 Baylor in an 83-50 win over San Diego yesterday in the quarterfinals of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The Bears (8-1) bounced back from their first loss of the season, against Gonzaga heading into the tournament.
"Definitely didn’t like how the last game felt, and we came out much more intense, much more focused," Bears coach Scott Drew said. "I really thought we played well early on, especially defensively, making things tough for them. Once we were able to do that, we were able to get some transition baskets."
Freakishly athletic BU dominated USD (2-9) in all phases, particularly in the paint (a 46-24 advantage) and on the backboards (42-25). San Diego of the West Coast Conference was outclassed and fell behind 48-19 by halftime, though the Toreros played the Bears of the Big 12 almost evenly after the break.
The Baylor front line of Anthony Jones, Perry Jones III and Quincy Acy combined for 41 points, while guards LaceDarius Dunn and Nolan Dennis added 13 and 10, respectively.
Washington State 83, Mississippi State 57
Behind guard Klay Thompson’s 28 points, the Cougars (9-1) advanced to today’s semifinals against Baylor.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
After trailing 40-39 at the half, WSU of the Pac-10 broke the game open with a 20-4 run, fueled by five consecutive 3-point makes. WSU shot 55.2 percent in the second half and outscored MSU 44-17 after the break. In comparison, the Bulldogs (7-4) of the Southeastern Conference shot just 25 percent after halftime.
The Cougars shot 12-for-24 on 3-pointers, posting new DHC records for 3s made and 3-point percentage in the second year of the event.
Butler 74, Utah 62
Matt Howard scored 23 points to lead Butler into the semifinals against Florida State.
Baylor (7-4), last season’s upstart national runner-up from the Horizon League, gained control of the game midway through the first half. The Runnin’ Utes (7-4) mounted a handful of charges in the second half, but were turned back each time.
Utah of the Mountain West Conference cut it to 48-41 with 12:20 to play and 63-55 with 3:41 left, but the Bulldogs took excellent care of the ball with just seven turnovers.
