Baylor Basketball: Bears return to form, edge WVU in OT

Jared Butler scored 25 points and Davion Mitchell added 20 as the No. 3 Baylor Bears held No. 6 West Virginia to one field goal in overtime in eclipsing the Mountaineers, 94-89, in Morgantown, WVa., Tuesday evening.

The Bears wrapped up their first conference championship in basketball since 1950 when they won the old Southwest Conference.

Baylor had the answers in the extra session. Derek Culver made a pair of free throws to give WVU an 85-83 lead with 3:13 remaining.

After a Miles Bridges three with 2:10 remaining, the Mountaineers didn’t score from the field again as they went 0-for-2 with a pair of turnovers over the last four possessions.

Mitchell gave Baylor the lead for good at 90-89 with 57 seconds remaining and then he and Adam Flagler iced the win from the line with two foul shots each.

West Virginia guard Taz Sherman led all scorers with 26 points as he was 9-of-14 from the field. Miles McBride had 19 and Sean McNeil popped in 18.

It looked for the longest time like the Mountaineers might send Baylor to it’s second consecutive loss as the Mountaineers maintained the lead throughout most of the second half. Matthew Mayer drew the Bears even at 69-69 with a dunk with 4:09 remaining, but the Mountaineers would answer with a triple from Taz Sherman and a 72-69 lead.

Mayer scored 10 in a row down the stretch as he followed West Virginia scores to keep Baylor even and in position to force overtime.

He had a pair of threes that answered two free throws by Miles McBride and a jumper by Sean McNeil. The second one have Baylor a 77-76 lead with 1:51 to play.

Trailing 81-79, Butler scored on a layup to tie the game at 81-81 to force the overtime. He drove over Culver and used his physicality to put his shoulder in Culver’s chest and power the ball over him.

Baylor jumped out to a 23-12 lead on a slam dunk by Tchamwa Tchatchoua, and after Macio Teague scored on a jumper to put the Bears up 30-20 with 6:35 left in the first half, WVU held Baylor to 2-of-13 and four turnovers to end the half.

The Mountaineers had threes from Jalen Bridges and Miles McBride before Butler hit a three at the buzzer to end the half and give Baylor a 35-31 lead.