Darron Cummings/Associated Press
The Baylor Bears are going to the national championship for the second time in program history after beating Houston 78-59 in the Final Four of the NCAA Division I men s basketball tournament on Saturday in Indianapolis.
The Bears rolled off a 39-12 run to take a 45-20 halftime lead. That span included 10-0 and 11-0 runs. Houston played far better in the second half and cut Baylor s lead down to 16, but the Bears 25-point halftime edge was too much to overcome.
Junior guard Jared Butler led the Bears with 17 points (all in the first half) on 6-of-9 shooting. Fellow junior guard Davion Mitchell added 12 points and 11 assists for the Bears.
Darron Cummings/AP INDIANAPOLIS Nearly two decades ago, Scott Drew decided to leave his comfort zone at tiny Valparaiso for the scandal-plagued basketball program at Baylor, explaining to his father that there was nowhere for the Bears to go but up. Now, they’re one win away from the top. Led by Jared Butler and the rest of their brilliant backcourt, a defense that refused to give Houston an inch, and a coach intent on making the most of his first trip to the Final Four, the Bears roared to a 78-59 victory Saturday night in their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament semifinals in 71 long years.
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8:55 p.m.
UCLA has the early edge over No. 1 Gonzaga as Baylor awaits its opponent in the NCAA championship game.
The 11th-seeded Bruins are up 10-9 at the first media timeout. Jaime Jaquez Jr. put UCLA in front with a 3-pointer.
Joel Ayayi scored the first seven points for the Zags, heavy favorites against the Bruins as they try to get within a victory of being the first undefeated national champion since Indiana 45 years ago.
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7:15 p.m.
Baylor has cruised into the NCAA championship game and will wait to see if No. 1 Gonzaga can provide the much-anticipated final.
Jared Butler didn t score in the second half, but the second-ranked Bears didn t need any more points from their All-American guard after he scored 17 to help them take a 25-point halftime lead in a 78-59 victory over Houston.
Final Four: Baylor s first-half flurry propels Bears over Houston and into national title game
Nick Bromberg
April 3, 2021, 4:14 PM
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: Jared Butler #12 of the Baylor Bears reacts in the second half against the Houston Cougars during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Baylor quickly made it clear that it would be playing for the national title on Monday night.
The Bears went on an incredible 29-9 run over the final 12:48 of the first half to take a commanding halftime lead in a comfortable 78-59 win over Houston in Saturday s semifinals of the men s Final Four.