After a slow first half, the Baylor Bears finally started playing like a top-10 team, taking the lead from senior forward Anthony Jones to defeat South Carolina State 70-50. Jones, who opened the second half with back-to-back three-pointers, finished the game with a game-high and career-best 21 points.
No. 10 Baylor vs. South Carolina State: Anthony Jones’ Career-High 21 Paces Bears
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“We needed a spark. We weren’t making shots early and came out kind of sluggish,” Jones said, according to the AP. “At halftime, we were kind of down on ourselves by how we played in the first half. We felt like it was important to come out and play our basketball, the way we’ve been playing all season.”
The Bears entered halftime with a five-point lead, but Jones' three-pointers sparked a 14-0 run, giving the Bears a lead they'd never relinquish. Pierre Jackson added 11 points off the bench for Baylor, who improved to 4-0 on the season.
South Carolina State was led by Brandon Riley, who finished with 13 points, with Khalif Toombs adding 12 and Omar Sanders 11.
With any luck, Baylor may not have to worry about slow starts much longer as they'll soon get back stud sophomore Perry Jones III, who has one game left in the six-game suspension imposed by the NCAA for receiving improper benefits. Jones was widely regarded as a likely top-3 pick had he entered the 2011 NBA draft, but he opted to return college.
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