Why Texas Won-  Myck Kabongo rebounded from an off-game and turned the Longhorns’ offense up a notch. His eight assists helped spread out the Baylor defense and as his teammates knocked down shots, Kabongo also continued to penetrate the lane and score at will. Sheldon McClellan didn’t start the game, but his 23 points off the bench set the tone for Texas offensively. Ioannis Papapetrou’s career-high 18 points gave the Longhorns the scoring punch they have been searching for all year.

First Half- Kabongo and McClellan combined to score 20 of the Longhorns’ 36 first-half points. Cameron Ridley came out of his shell, making strong moves around the basket that led to eight free throw attempts. While he only hit four of those attempts, Ridley was in the center of the action and showed some signs of promise with the offseason looming. Baylor’s Pierre Jackson led all scorers at the break with 13 points, as the Bears ended the half down two points.

Second Half- McClellan and Papapetrou scored 27 combined second-half points as the Longhorns retained better possession of the ball on offense. Texas coughed the ball up just twice in the second half and continued making shots when it needed them. Ridley made a couple of huge plays late in the game, including a nasty one-handed stuff in Isaiah Austin’s face. Austin scored 15 points for the Bears and Jackson finished with 22. 

Stock Up-

Ridley- The freshman’s final line of eight points and five rebounds doesn’t jump off the page, but his hustle is what made a difference in the game. Ridley’s four offensive rebounds were a game high and he seemed to thrive around the rim, even making a dive for a ball heading out of bounds before he tipped it to Papapetrou for a big three-pointer.  

By the numbers-

7-3 The Longhorns’ record when McClellan and Papapetrou both reach double-figure scoring. Their 41 combined points Monday are the most by the pair this season.

8- The lowest turnover total for Texas this year. Their previous low came Feb. 19 at TCU with nine turnovers.  

4- Minutes played for freshman Javan Felix, a season low. 

What’s Next- The Longhorns will land in Lubbock this weekend for their final conference game of the regular season. A win against the Red Raiders would lift the Longhorns’ record to just a game below .500, likely increasing their seed in the Big 12 Tournament.