Sporting Alert

College Football, NCAAB, NBA, NFL

Baylor Bears

Lecomte Scores 22pts, No. 24 Baylor Opens With Win

by Leave a Comment

WACO, Texas, Sporting Alert — Manu Lecomte scored 22 points and made six of Baylor’s 12 3-pointers and the No. 24 Bears kick-off their season with a 107-66 win over Central Arkansas at Ferrell Center on Friday.

Lecomte, who hit four of his 3-pointers in the first 9 1/2 minutes, made six shots — all from 3-point range — and went 6 for 10 overall from the floor, as Baylor jumped out to a 27-12 lead and never trailed after.

Six Baylor players scored in double figures, including Terry Maston, who added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

“We have a lot of weapons this year, and we just showed it today,” said Lecomte. “Inside, obviously, our guys you know, they can’t stop them, so we just have to keep feeding them.

“Outside, we have great shooters, guys that can get in the lane, and so we have a lot of weapons that can make up for [Johnathan Motley’s] scoring from last year, and so that is really positive.”

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. scored 17 and pulled down nine rebounds, Nuni Omot had 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds, while King McClure and true freshman Tristan Clark each scored 15 points for the Bears.

All five Baylor starters were scoring in double-figures in regulation for the first time since March 23, 2014 when it beat Creighton in the NCAA second round.

Jordan Howard paced Central Arkansas with 22 points on 7 of 15 shooting, while Mathieu Kambahas scored 12 points in the defeat.

“Their interior passing is really good, they do a great job of taking away help and getting you in high-low situations. Then they use their length to give them an advantage,” Central Arkansas Head Coach Russ Pennell said.

The visitors, who are also nicknamed the Bears, shot 39.7 percent from the floor and made just six of the 20 attempts from 3-point range.

As a team, Baylor was 66.1 percent from the floor and made 12 of the 17 tries from 3-pointers.

“The first game you never know what it is going to be like,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “If you could get 85 percent from the free throw line and 66 percent from the field and 71 percent from three, you probably would want to end the season right there.

“We really executed well offensively, we were very unselfish,” said Drew, whose team had 29 assists on 39 made field goals.

The Bears out rebounded Central Arkansas 42-21, but turned the ball over 16 times.

“The only negative was probably our turnovers, but very pleased in a first game, especially not knowing the opponent,” the coach added.

Baylor led for all but 1:49.

Pennell added: “That’s what makes Baylor so special. I think I saw they had 29 assists. That’s sharing the basketball, and everyone likes to play in that system.

“It’s fun to watch that and you are going to win a lot of games when you are what we refer to as a willing passer, and I think they definitely do that.”

No. 4 Baylor v No. 3 Kansas: Big 12 Battle, Live TV Channel, GameCast

by Leave a Comment

WACO, TX — No. 3 Kansas and No. 4 Baylor will battle in a crucial Big 12 matchup at Ferrell Center here in Waco, Texas, on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off time for this one is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET and it will be televised live on CBS.

HOW TO WATCH, LISTEN AND FOLLOW LIVE

Watch | Gametracker | Listen Online | TuneIn Ap

Kansas (23-3, 11-2 Big 12) enters this road game as the leader of the Big 12 and holds a two-game cushion over Baylor in the conference standings.

The Jayhawks beat the Bears 73-68 in Lawrence earlier this month and head into the rematch with added confidence after a thrilling comeback saw them erasing a late 14 point deficit to stun No. 9 West Virginia 84-80 in overtime on Monday night.

Baylor (22-4, 9-4 Big 12), meanwhile, is coming off a disappointing 84-78 defeat to Texas Tech on Monday night and will be hoping to bounce back with a quality win over its conference rivals.

Since losing to Kansas on Feb. 1, the Bears are 2-3 and have struggled somewhat on offense, especially in the opening sections of games.

Leading contributor Johnathan Motley struggled in the defeat to Texas Tech earlier this week and it showed why he’s been regarded as the “heart and soul” for the Bears this term.

Point guard Manu Lecomte, who fouled out of the game with over eight minutes to go is also a vital figure for Baylor and the pair will be aiming to shake off the last outing and deliver a win at home against Kansas.

Entering this game, Kansas has won three straight and five of the last six games, and it is being led by senior guard Frank Mason III, who is scoring 20.2 points per game.

Freshman Josh Jackson is averaging 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds and has recorded a double-double in five of his past six games and nine overall this season.

Devonte’ Graham is scoring 13.2 points and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is putting out 10.5 per game this season for the Jayhawks.

Baylor is led by Motley, who is averaging 16.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest this term.

Lecomte is the only other Baylor player scoring in double-digit this campaign, as he’s averaging 12.8 points.

The Bears are two-point favourites to beat Kansas, but the Jayhawks will be determined to take care of business on the road and move closer to sealing yet another Big 12 regular season title.

Texas Tech Stuns No. 4 Baylor 84-78 After Lecomte Fouled Out

by Leave a Comment

LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech beat No. 4 Baylor 84-78 to secure their third win against a ranked team this season and put a setback on the Bears’ quest to win the Big 12 title.

After starting fast with an 11-0 run and then blew a 12 point advantage, Texas Tech grabbed back the lead midway through the second half and never looked back en route to the victory.

“People look at a number and they see (No. 4) and they see non-ranked and they think there’s a big difference,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said.

“Coaches know there’s not a big difference. These are one-possession games. A one-possession league.”

Keenan Evans scored 23 points and Niem Stevenson added 21 points, six rebounds and five assists to lead the Red Raiders (17-9, 5-8 Big 12).

Justin Gray finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds and Zach Smith scored 11 points for Texas Tech, as the student’s section pours onto the floor after the win.

“We’ve known the whole time that we can beat these teams,” Evans said. “Especially Kansas, we let that one slip away.

“But, we knew coming in it was going to be a battle. We knew that we could come out with a win.”

Terry Maston led Baylor with 22 points off the bench and shot 7-of-11 from the floor, while Manu Lecomte scored 16 points but fouled out with 8:28 left in the game and it opened the door for Texas Tech to take over the contest.

Johnathan Motley, who is averaging 16.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game this season, was held to just 11 points, as he struggled to shoot the ball.

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. also scored 11 points in the defeat for the Bears (22-4, 9-4 Big 12), who had their two game win streak snapped.

The defeat put a dent in Baylor’s hope of winning the Big 12 title and potentially hurt their chance of keeping their No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament.

Baylor, which is not a game and half behind first-place Kansas in the Big 12, will host the Jayhawks in their next outing on Saturday.

NCAA Basketball Scores: No. 5 Baylor Wins Again – Jan. 25

by Leave a Comment

ATLANTA — NCAA basketball Top 25 scores and results on Wednesday, as ranked teams continue to fall this week.

No. 5 BAYLOR 65, TEXAS TECH 61

WACO — Johnathan Motley had 25 points and nine rebounds and the fifth-ranked Baylor held out for a 65-61 victory over Texas Tech.

Motley shot just 5-of-12 from the floor but made 15 of his 16 attempts from the free throw line.

Manu Lecomte finished with 10 points and five assists for the Bears (19-1, 7-1 Big 12), who joined the Kansas Jayhawks at the top of the Big 12 conference standings.

Manu Lecomte of Baylor Basketball
Point guard Manu Lecomte of Baylor Basketball at the FT line

Baylor, which made 26 of 28 free throws and outrebounded Texas Tech 35-25, is 13-0 at home this season.

Aaron Ross scored 14 points to lead the Red Raiders (14-6, 3-5 Big 12), while Justin Gray finished with 12 points and Keenan Evans ended with 10 in the defeat.

GEORGIA TECH 78, No. 6 FLORIDA STATE 56

Georgia Tech jumped out to an early double-digit lead and never trailed en rout to a 78-56 victory over No. 6 Florida on Wednesday night.

Josh Okogie had 35 points and 14 rebounds to record his first career double-double for the Yellow Jackets (12-8, 4-4 ACC), who was winning for the second time against an AP Top 10 team this season.

With his achievement on Wednesday night, Okogie, according to ESPN Stats and Info, becomes just the third Georgia Tech freshman to score 30-plus points twice in the same season, following his career-high 38-point performance vs Tulane on Nov. 26.

Ben Lammers also grabbed a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds along with four assists and three blocks, while Quinton Stephens added 13 points and five rebounds for the Yellow Jackets to snap a two-game losing streak.

Dwayne Bacon scored 12 points to lead Florida State (18-3, 6-2 ACC), which never led.

The Seminoles entered the game with back-to-back wins over ranked teams North Carolina and Louisville, but failed to get going in the first half as they trailed by as many as 26 points and shot just 17.1 percent during the opening period.

Georgia Tech totally dominated the nation’s sixth-ranked team in the first half to take a 41-15 advantage at halftime.

Florida State tried to make a game out of it in the second half, but the lead was too significant to trim down.

As a team, the Seminoles shot 28.2 percent overall on 20-of-71 shooting and lost the rebounding battle against the Yellow Jackets 53-39.

GEORGETOWN 71, No. 16 CREIGHTON 51

WASHINGTON — Meanwhile, at Verizon Center in Washington, Georgetown handed No. 16 Creighton a second successive defeat in conference play.

L.J. Peak scored 20 points and Rodney Pryor added 18 points, six assists and five rebounds and Georgetown beat Creighton 71-51.

It was the lowest scoring game of the season for the Bluejays (18-3, 5-3 Big East), who looked out of sort again without leading guard Maurice Watson Jr., who is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Jessie Govan finished with 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench for the Hoyas (11-10, 2-6 Big East), who led by as many as 22 points in the second half.

Justin Patton had 20 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals for Creighton, which trailed 39-27 at halftime.

Marcus Foster scored 12 points in the defeat for the Bluejays, who won the rebounding battle 47-36.

Check out more NCAA basketball coverage.

NCAA Basketball Scores: Top 25
Wednesday, Jan. 25 Complete Box Scores

No. 5 Baylor 65, Texas Tech 61
No. 6 Florida State 56, Georgia Tech 78,
No. 16 Creighton 51, Georgetown 71

No. 10 West Virginia hands No. 1 Baylor first loss

by Leave a Comment

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia, Sporting Alert – No. 10 West Virginia ripped apart Baylor in the second half and just like that, the No. 1 team in the country has been taken down. The Mountaineers won the game 89-68.

Nathan Adrian scored a career-best 22 points on 7 of 10 shooting and Jevon Carter added 17 and West Virginia led wire-to-wire to handed Baylor its first loss of the season, one day after the Bears moved atop the AP Top 25 rankings for the first time in school history.

Brandon Watkins and Tarik Phillip each had 11 points for the Mountaineers (14-2, 3-1 Big 12), who shot 55-percent in the second half.

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. led Baylor with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Terry Maston and Al Freeman each scored 10 points.

West Virginia used mini runs throughout the first half to take a 39-32 lead at halftime and never trailed.

The Mountaineers led by as many as 21points in the second half when Jevon Carter hit a jumper to put the home team up 76-50 with 5:43 left in the game.

The Bears (15-1, 3-1 Big 12) were 5-0 this season, including three against ranked opponents, when trailing at halftime, but couldn’t make it six straight on Tuesday night.

Baylor’s defeat now means there is only one undefeated team left in NCAA college men’s Division I basketball this season.

The Bears, who had won four straight against ranked opponents, struggled shooting the ball against West Virginia in the second half after making just 13 of their 32 attempts during that period.

They also carelessly gave the ball away numerous times to commit 29 turnovers, which according to ESPN Stats and Info, “were the most by a major conference team in a game this season.”

NEXT SCHEDULE

Baylor will look to bounce back when it plays at No. 25 Kansas State on Saturday.

West Virginia will be buzzing with confidence when it heads on the road to face on Saturday.

Photo by: All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo

No. 2 Baylor host Iowa State: Stream Live on WatchESPN

by Leave a Comment

WACO, Tex., Sporting Alert – Second-ranked Baylor enters Wednesday night’s seeking to extend its undefeated winning streak this season with another win at home against Iowa State in Big 12 play. The game will tip-off at 8:00 pm ET and is live on ESPN News and available to stream live on WatchESPN. Also Listen Online and follow Gametracker updates of every play.

The Bears (13-0, 1-0 Big 12) dusted off Oklahoma with an impressive 26-point victory to open league play last Friday, and start as 8.5 favourites to win again at Ferrell Center here in Waco, according to the oddsmakers.

Iowa State (9-3, 1-0) rallied from a 14 point deficit to beat Texas Tech 63-56 to open Big 12 play on Friday, and has won three straight heading into this match-up.

In the win, Naz Mitrou-Long, who leads the Cyclones in scoring this season, scored 17 of his 19 total points in the second half to reach double-digit for the fifth straight game and for the 10th time this season.

Baylor is scoring just 79.3 points per game as a team, which is ranked 72nd in the nation and sixth in the Big 12.

However, the No. 2 ranked team in the AP Top 25 latest poll is allowing just 58 points per game, which is fifth in the country and No. 1 in the Big 12.

Individually, Bears junior Johnathan Motley is fourth in the Big 12 in scoring at 16.2 PPG and second in rebounding with 9.1 per battles.

Iowa State’s Nazareth Mitrou-Long is scoring 15.6 points per game, which is sixth in the Big 12, while Monte Morris is scoring 14.6 per contest, seventh in the league.

Baylor’s Al Freeman is putting out 12.2 points this season, Manu Lecomte is at 11.8, while Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. is averaging 10.7 points and pulling down 7.5 rebounds per game.

The Bears are one of three teams still undefeated entering the New Year, as they joined No. 1 Villanova and No. 7 Gonzaga.

Wednesday night is the 32nd meeting of the series between Baylor and Iowa State, with the Cyclones leading the series 17-14.

However, the Bears are 11-2 when playing at home in the series.

Motley Double-Double Helps No. 4 Baylor Beat Oklahoma, 76-50

by Leave a Comment

NORMAN, Okla., Sporting Alert – Johnathan Motley collected a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds and No. 4 Baylor stayed undefeated this season with a 76-50 victory over Oklahoma in a Big 12 opener for both teams on Friday.

Motley, who was collecting his fourth double-double of the season, shot 9 for 15 from the field and blocked three shots on the night for the Bears (13-0), who are off to their best start in 16 years.

The nation’s fourth-ranked program is also off to a 13-0 start for the first time since starting 17-0 in 2011-12.

Manu Lecomte added 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting with four 3-pointers and Jo Lual Acuil Jr. ended with 12 points on 5 of 8 shooting, including 2 for 2 from 3s to go along with eight rebounds for Baylor, which led 36-17 at halftime.

Christian James led Oklahoma with 11 points and Khadeem Lattin had eight points, five rebounds and three blocks in a slow night on offense for the Sooners (6-6), who have now dropped four straight.

The Sooners were playing their second straight game without senior guard Jordan Woodard, who remains on the sideline with an undisclosed medical condition, according to school officials.

Baylor, who have won their last seven games by at least 15 points, shot 48 percent from the floor and 45.0 percent from long-range against Oklahoma, while outrebounding the Sooner 46-30.

OU entered Friday night’s game with a 44-12 advantage in the series with Baylor, including a 22-4 mark in Norman.

The Bears, who remain one of five unbeaten teams in Division I this season, return to action on January 4 against the visiting Iowa State.

The Sooners will travel to Texas to face TCU on January 3.

Complete Box Score and Game Play-by-Play Commentary

Top 25 and ESPN3 Schedule College Basketball: Dec. 30

by Leave a Comment

EUGENE, Ore., Sporting Alert – College basketball Top 25 and ESPN3 schedule on Friday, 30 December with several of this season’s top programs in action.

Heading the list are No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Kansas, No. 4 Baylor and No. 21 Oregon.

OREGON LOOKS TO END ANOTHER STREAK

Fresh off their thrilling upset over the second-ranked Bruins on Wednesday night, the Ducks (12-2) will go after their 11th successive victory this season when they host No. 22 Southern California in a Pac-12 clash at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene.

Dillon Brooks and Oregon will be trying to take down back-to-back undefeated teams this week, as the Bruins were also at 100 percent before losing to the Ducks Wednesday night.

USC (14-0) picked up a 70-63 victory over Oregon State in its last victory on Wednesday night in their Pac-12 opener.

It will be the first meeting against a ranked team this season for the Trojans, who are scoring 82.3 points per game and allowing 69.6.

Elijah Stewart leads USC in scoring this season with 15.0 points per game with Jordan McLaughlin putting out 14.4 per game.

Next comes Chimezie Metu at 13.5 points with 7.9 rebounds, Bennie Boatwright at 10.8 and Shaqquan Aaron at 10.2.

Kansas ESPN3 college basketball
Frank Mason III of Kansas looks on.

Oregon is led this season by Chris Boucher, who is scoring 13.7 points and pulling down 7.8 rebounds per game.

Brooks is scoring 13.6 points per game, Tyler Dorsey is contributing 13.4, Dylan Ennis with 10.9 and Jordan Bell is putting out 10.5 points and 8.2 rebounds.

As a team, the Ducks are scoring 79.1 points per game and giving away 64.9.

Oregon will be looking to extend their home streak which currently sits at 34 straight games, the longest in school history.

UCLA AIMS TO BOUNCE BACK

Meanwhile, UCLA (13-1) will look to rebound from the defeat TO Oregon the last time out when it take on Oregon State.

The Beavers (4-10) fell to USC last time out on Wednesday night, and have lost six of the last seven.

Tres Tinkle leads Oregon State in scoring with 20.2 points per game, while pulling down 8.3 rebounds.

TJ Leaf is the leading contributor for UCLA with 17.2 points and 8.9 rebounds.

Bryce Alford is scoring 16.6 points per game, Isaac Hamilton comes next with 15.7 points, and is followed by Aaron Holiday at 13.9, while Lonzo Ball is contributing 13.7 points, 8.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds.

Thomas Welsh is averaging 12.0 points and 9.6 rebounds for the Bruins this season.

Johnathan Motley Baylor Bears
Johnathan Motley of the Baylor Bears in action

MORE AP TOP 25 FIXTURES

In other games involving Top 25 ranked teams, No. 3 Kansas (11-1) goes in search of their 12th straight win against TCU (11-1) in Big 12 action while fourth-ranked Baylor (12-0) put its undefeated record for the season on the line against Oklahoma (6-5) in another Big 12 battle.

Elsewhere in AP Top 25 clashes, No. 11 West Virginia (11-1) goes up against Oklahoma State (10-2), which is 6-0 at home this season, while the 18th ranked Arizona (11-2) will travel to California (9-3) at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley.

College Basketball AP Top 25 Schedule
Friday 30 December

No. 11 West Virginia at Oklahoma State 4:00 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
No. 4 Baylor at Oklahoma 7:00 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
No. 3 Kansas at TCU 9:00 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
No. 22 USC at No. 21 Oregon 10:00 PM FS1
NO. 2 UCLA at Oregon State 11:00 PM PAC12
No. 18 Arizona at California 11:00 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN

ESPN3 Schedule on December 30

Allen at South Carolina Upstate 3:00 PM ESPN3
Marywood at Binghamton 4:00 PM ESPN3
Chicago State at Central Michigan 5:30 PM ESPN3
Ohio Christian at Toledo 7:00 PM ESPN3
Maine at Buffalo 7:00 PM ESPN3
UTEP at New Mexico State 9:00 PM ESPN3

AP College Basketball Top 25 Rankings Week 4: Baylor Moves Big

by Leave a Comment

MIAMI, FL, Sporting Alert – Kentucky and Villanova held firm as the No. 1 and No. 2 team teams in the latest AP College Basketball Top 25 Rankings, but there were lots of movements below them in Week 4 on Monday, November 28.

Kentucky (6-0) received 40 of the first-place votes from the voting media panel in Week 4 after collecting a pair wins a week ago and scored over 100 points in both outings.

The Wildcats crushed Cleveland State, 101-70 and UT Martin, 111-76 in their fixtures last week to accumulate 1,590 points.

Sitting steady at No. 2 is defending champion Villanova after the Big East representatives stayed undefeated with a sixth successive win on the term.

The Wildcats, who won their lone game on the schedule last Wednesday night – beating Charleston, 63-47 – received 20 first-place votes for 1,567 points.

http://gty.im/516385942

There is a new third-ranked side in Week 4, though, after Indiana was beaten by Fort Wayne before the Thanksgiving break.

Taking that vacant spot is North Carolina, which advanced one spot after picking up three impressive wins.

The Tar Heels (7-0), who beat Chaminade, Oklahoma State and then-No. 16 Wisconsin a week ago, collected four No. 1 votes.

Kansas and preseason No. 1 Duke both moved up a slot to No. 4 and No. 5 after going undefeated in their respective last fixtures.

The other first-place vote went to Baylor, who has been rewarded for some impressive performances recently.

The Bears (6-0), who beat VCU, Michigan State and Louisville last week, jumped 11 spots in the rankings this week to No. 9, and were the biggest movers in the poll.

Virginia at No. 6, Xavier at No. 7, Gonzaga eighth and Creighton 10th rounded out the top 10 rankings.

UCLA, Saint Mary’s, Indiana, Louisville and Purdue are 11 through 15.

Arizona, Wisconsin, Butler, Iowa State and South Carolina round out the top 20.

After a tough week, Oregon, which went down to Georgetown in the first round of the Maui Invitational last Monday, slipped 10 spots to No. 23 in the rankings in Week 4.

No. 21 Rhode Island, No. 22 is Syracuse, Florida is No. 24, while West Virginia completed the top 25.

Butler, South Carolina and Florida are the new entries, with Texas (22), Michigan State (24), Michigan (25), Florida State (25) making way this week.

AP College Basketball Top 25 Rankings
– Week 4

RK TEAM RECORD PTS
1 Kentucky (40) 6-0 1,590
2 Villanova (20) 6-0 1,567
3 North Carolina (4) 7-0 1,497
4 Kansas 5-1 1,414
5 Duke 6-1 1,365
6 Virginia 6-0 1,286
7 Xavier 6-0 1,181
8 Gonzaga 6-0 1,112
9 Baylor (1) 6-0 1,068
10 Creighton 6-0 965
11 UCLA 7-0 955
12 Saint Mary’s 5-0 866
13 Indiana 4-1 857
14 Louisville 5-1 808
15 Purdue 5-1 687
16 Arizona 5-1 655
17 Wisconsin 5-2 555
18 Butler 6-0 506
19 Iowa State 5-1 389
20 South Carolina 6-0 379
21 Rhode Island 5-1 354
22 Syracuse 4-1 229
23 Oregon 4-2 189
24 Florida 6-1 154
25 West Virginia 4-1 132

Dropped from rankings: Texas 22, Michigan State 24, Michigan 25, Florida State 25

Others receiving votes: Maryland 126, Notre Dame 85, Cincinnati 49, Michigan State 28, Ohio State 22, Michigan 13, Temple 8, USC 7, Houston 6, Florida State 5, VCU 5, California 3, Tennessee State 2, Virginia Tech 1, Arkansas State 1, San Diego State 1, Colorado 1, Minnesota 1, Rutgers 1

CORRECTION: Baylor Upsets No. 4 Oregon, 66-49; Lecomte Scores 18

by Leave a Comment

WACO, Texas — Manu Lecomte scored 18 points, Johnathan Motley added 17, and Baylor stunned No. 4 Oregon 66-49 in a college basketball game on Tuesday.

The game was part of the ESPN College Basketball Tip-Off Marathon.

Oregon (2-0) asserted themselves early in the contest, taking a 25-14 lead with 7:46 left in the first half, which set the tone for the home side to easily put away the Ducks (1-1).

“It really helps RPI-wise for the rest of the year because Oregon is a team that’s going to win a lot of games,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew said.

“So, this is one of those wins that helps you all year long. We’ve been ranked in the top 25 the last nine years. This year, we haven’t gotten a single vote (in the polls).

“I think people out there will know that we’ve still got a pretty good team. Now, you’ve got to deal with handling some success.”

The Ducks were playing without junior forward Dillon Brooks, who is still recovering from foot surgery during the offseason.

Brooks led the Ducks in scoring last season and will be a big factor on offense again this campaign when he returns.

“We do miss him, but that’s just part of the game,” UO coach Dana Altman said about Brooks’ absence.

“We didn’t have anybody step up and help us out there.”

Lecomte shot an impressive 6 of 9 from the field, including 4 for 5 from 3-point range, dished out seven assists and pulled down four rebounds for Baylor, who shot 50-percent from long-range.

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. grabbed 14 rebounds and Motley added seven in his season debut for Baylor, which was 45.5-percent in shooting from the field overall.

Dylan Ennis led Oregon with 16 points, Boucher finished with 12 and Jordan Bell collected 11 rebounds for the Ducks, who could certainly use the help of their preseason All-American Brooks.

Oregon trailed 33-23 at halftime, but used a 9-0 run to start the second half to make it a one-point game, 33-32 early after the interval.

“Good teams are always going to make runs,” Drew admits. “What was important for us is last year we gave up 28 points off our turnovers, and today I believe it was just 12.

“We really moved the ball, didn’t allow them to get in transition. And then rebounding-wise, we gave up 15 second-chance points last year, and this year we only gave up four. In those two areas, we really improved and really wanted to be focused on that.”

Oregon struggled shooting the ball from long range after going 3 for 21 from 3-pointers for 14.3-percent.

Overall, the Ducks were 33 percent on 19 of 58 shooting from the field, while they were outrebounded 41-30 by the Bears.

“Really disappointed with our ball movement. It looked like we’d never seen a zone before,” added Altman.

“We didn’t get the ball in the middle of the zone, something we did very effectively last year.”

According to an Associated Press report, Baylor is now 4-7 in their last 11 contest against top-five teams.

Next on the schedule for the Bears is a home game against Florida Gulf Coast on Friday night.

Oregon will also be home Thursday night when it entertains Valparaiso.

Bowl Game Scores On December 29; Wins For LSU, Baylor

by Leave a Comment

TEXAS, Sporting Alert – College football bowl game scores and recaps from the games that were played on Tuesday, 29, December 2015. LSU and Baylor finished season with bowl wins.

NO. 20 LSU 56, TEXAS TECH 27

HOUSTON — Leonard Fournette ran for 212 yards and four touchdowns and caught a pass for another score as No. 20 LSU defeated Texas Tech 56-27 in the Advocare V100 Texas Bowl on Tuesday night.

Fournette, who carried the ball 29 times during the contest, put the Tigers (9-3) ahead early in the first quarter with a score from 2-yards, before taking a 44-yard pass from Brandon Harris in the second quarter to give his team a 21-6 lead.

He also found the end zone with 43 and 4 yard runs in the third-quarter before finishing off a dominant performance with a 2-yard TD in the fourth-quarter en route to being named the Advocare V100 Texas Bowl MVP.

“This is a night that Leonard Fournette would have again and again and again,” LSU coach Les Miles said.

“I wouldn’t call it routine because he is not a routine runner, he’s a special back. But we would expect him to have nights like this. He’s fast and strong and capable.”

Brandon Harris went 13 of 22 on completed passes for 254 yards and a touchdown, and rush for another 41 yards and a score for the Tigers, while D.J. Chark ran for 86 yards, including a 79 yards touchdown to help setup the win.

LSU had 638 total yards on offense, including 384 yards on the ground from 40 rushing attempts.

Patrick Mahomes went 28 of 56 on passing for 370 yards and four touchdowns and Jakeem Grant took 10 catches for 125 yards and three scores for Texas Tech in the defeat, as the Red Raiders (7-6) who averaged over 200 yards rushing entering the game, were held to just 29 yards rushing for this contest.

The Tigers outscored Texas Tech 35-14 in the second half, including 21-7 in the third quarter.

NO. 17 BAYLOR 49, NO. 10 NORTH CAROLINA 38

ORLANDO, FL — Johnny Jefferson ran for 299 yards and three scores and No. 17 Baylor piled up 756 total yards on offense en route to beating No. 10 North Carolina 49-38 in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Tuesday night.

Jefferson’s rushing performance set a Russell Athletic Bowl record.

Devin Chafin ran for 161 yards and a score, Terence Williams had 16 carries for 97 yards and two touchdowns, while Lynx Hawthorne rushed for 63 yards and a TD for the Bears (10-3) who racked up 645 rushing yards.

The Big 12 conference powerhouses were without several key players, including star running back and Biletnikoff Award winner Corey Coleman (hernia surgery), as well as quarterbacks Seth Russell (neck injury) and Jarrett Stidham (broken ankle), and running back Shock Linwood (broken foot), but still managed to get the job done as they end a two-game skid in bowl outings.

“It just says we’re tough. Baylor’s whole identity is ‘physicality travels.’ That’s all we preach. That’s all we teach,” said Jefferson.

“So being physical today, we won the game.”

Senior quarterback Marquise Williams was 22 of 36 on passing for 243 yards and three touchdowns with an interception and ran for another 81 yards and two scores for North Carolina (11-3) which missed out at winning an unprecedented 12 games on the term.

Elijah Hood ran the ball 13 times for 118 yards for the Tar Heels, who posted 487 total yards on offense in the defeat.

“We didn’t get it done tonight, obviously,” North Carolina coach Larry Fedora said. “They were the better team out on the field tonight.”

He added: “They had a heck of a plan.”

College Football Game Bowl Scores
Tuesday 29, December

NO. 20 LSU 56, TEXAS TECH 27
NO. 17 BAYLOR 49, NO. 10 NORTH CAROLINA 38
CALIFORNIA 55, AIR FORCE 36
NEVADA 28, COLORADA STATE 23

College Bowl Games Schedule For December 29

by Leave a Comment

ORLANDO, FL, Sporting Alert – College football bowl games schedule continues on Tuesday with three more matchups, including the day’s highlighted battle between North Carolina and Baylor in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

Check out all the NCAA College Bowl scores and fixtures

At Florida Citrus Bowl here in Orlando, the No. 10 ranked Tar Heels and No. 17 Bears, two teams which had big ambitions of making the College Football Playoffs until the dream collapse during the late season fixtures, will now look to close out the season on a winning note when they battle for the Russell Athletic Bowl.

Both teams come into this matchup with powerful offenses so expect the scoreboard to tick over very frequently on Tuesday when the two programs meet for the first time.

In fact, Baylor is ranked No. 1 in college football for points scored per game, at a blistering 48.3, while its ability to run the ball regularly sees them averaging 300.2 rushing yards per contest.

North Carolina, in the meantime, is averaging 40.9 points, which is ranked 11th in the country, while averaging 222.9 yards on the ground per game, which is 22nd.

Baylor (9-3) started the season strongly but failed to win the big games and fell out of the conversation for a college football playoff spot.

The Tar Heels (11-2), after starting the season with a defeat, recovered to launched an 11-game winning streak, but just when things were looking good, their hopes of securing a CFP spot came crashing in the ACC championship game where they were beaten by No. 1 Clemson.

There will be a lot of talented players to look out for in this game, but the Bears’ will be without injured star wide receiver Corey Coleman (hernia), who has taken 74 catches for 1363 yards and 20 touchdowns this season.

He will certainly be missed.

Also out for the Big 12 powerhouses are quarterbacks Seth Russell (neck) and Jarrett Stidham (heel) and starting running back Shock Linwood (foot).

With Russell and Stidham both out, third-string QB Chris Johnson will make his third straight start for Baylor.

Meanwhile, North Carolina will look to star quarterback Marquise Williams, who broke his own single-season school record for rushing yards with 867 yards this term, to continue leading on offense, along with running back Elijah Hood, who is also enjoying a very productive season for the Tar Heels.

The Bears are 10-11 in bowl games and have dropped the last two, including last year’s defeat to Michigan State for the Cotton Bowl in their first-ever New Year’s Six bowl appearance, so they will be hoping to end that skid.

The Tar Heels, in the meantime, are aiming for an unprecedented 12th win this season, and they will start at 3.5-point favorites, according to vegasinsider.com.

LSU Looks To Close Out Troubled Season On A High

Meanwhile, in Houston, Texas, at the NRG Stadium, No. 20 LSU and coach Les Miles will hope to conclude what has been a very rocky campaign on a high against Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl.

The Tigers (8-3) have not enjoyed this season at all, but can put down a marker to build on for next season with a win against Red Raiders (7-5).

Expect star running back Leonard Fournette, who has 271 carries for 1741 yards and 18 touchdowns this season to get going for LSU against a Texas Tech running defense that is one of the poorest in the country.

The Red Raiders are giving up 271.8 yards rushing a game, which ranks 125th these days.

However, they have been very good on offense, putting up 46.6 point per game, which ranked second in the country — with quarterback Patrick Mahomes II leading the way as he’s passed for 4,283 yards and 32 touchdowns.

LSU makes its 16th straight bowl game (a school record) and 11th under coach Miles, while Texas Tech is making its 14th bowl games in the last 16 years.

Oddsmakers listed LSU as 7-point favorite to win the Texas Bowl.

In other college bowl games on Tuesday, Nevada (6-6) and Colorado State (7-5) clash for the Arizona Bowl, while Armed Forces Bowl will see Air Force and California (7-5) fight for the honor.

Complete College Bowl Games
Tuesday, 29 December

Armed Forces Bowl:
California vs. Air Force, 2 p.m., ESPN 

Russell Athletic:
No. 10 North Carolina vs. No. 17 Baylor, 5:30 p.m., ESPN | Live Stream on ESPN3.com

Arizona Bowl:
Nevada vs. Colorado St., 7:30 p.m., ASN

Texas Bowl:
No. 20 LSU vs. Texas Tech, 9 p.m., ESPN | Live Stream on ESPN3.com