x
Breaking News
More () »

Mason, No. 9 seed Baylor defeats No. 8 seed Syracuse 78-69 in Round of 64

The Bears knocked down 16 three pointers to take down the Orange.
Credit: Nick Canizales - KCEN Sports

SALT LAKE CITY — For 40 minutes, Baylor and Syracuse put on a three point shooting clinic that Steph Curry would of been proud of. In the end, Baylor made critical shots down the stretch and held off a late rally to win 78-69 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. 

"This is why we have been able to achieve what we have been able to achieve," Scott Drew said. "You have to credit the guys for playing with a lot of joy and really sacrificing for each other."

Baylor won their first NCAA tournament game since 2017 behind 22 points from Makai Mason. This marks the 20th win on the season for the Bears, which is the 10th time in 12 years Baylor reached that achievement. 

"It was pretty special," Mason said. "We have the underdog mentality. We're not backing down from anybody and that's the reason why we were able to stay calm in those big moments."

Baylor's four-game losing streak going into this game was the longest losing streak of any team going into the tournament. 

Both teams lit up the Salt Lake City sky, combing for 28 three pointers, 3rd most all-time for a single game in a tournament. 

"In the first half, we expected Makai to hit at least five threes," Jared Butler, who scored 14 points, said. "He's a great shooter."

Baylor got off to a hot start and surged to a 38-37 halftime lead by shooting 10-of-18 from 3-point range. The Bears opened 6-of-13 from the behind the arc as Syracuse had a stretch of nearly five minutes without a field goal.

"I liked what we were executing on offense, but defensively I thought we needed to be better," Drew said. "Really credit Syracuse for making a lot of shots and some tough shots."

Baylor has now won 21 postseason game since 2009, tying Florida and Syracuse for 7th most in the nation during that span. The Bears also shot 53.8 percent from the field, the 3rd-best field goal percentage in an NCAA Tournament game in school history.

Baylor will now take on No. 1 Gonzaga on Saturday at 6:10 p.m. in the Round of 32.

Before You Leave, Check This Out