J’Covan Brown had a game-high 32 points, but it was not enough as the Baylor Bears (19-2, 6-2) defeated the Texas Longhorns (13-8, 3-5) 76-71 in Waco. For Brown, it was his third 30 point performance of the season, and by far his best game since his 34 point performance against Missouri. Brown was able to shoot 50% from the field as opposed to shooting under 30% his past three games.

Myck Kabongo scored 12 points and had five assists, but was limited by foul trouble throughout the game. Kabongo did shoot 2-of-2 from behind the arc, but missed a crucial free throw that would’ve tied the game at 64-64 and completed a four point play. Kabongo in total only hit 4-of-8 from the free throw line, which will not get it done especially on a team that lacks experience like the ‘Horns against top 10 foes.

Clint Chapman proved to be the top forward again for this team scoring eight points but only collecting one rebound due to foul trouble. He received two fouls early in the first half en route to only playing 15 minutes and fouling out. As the second most valuable player on this team, he must learn to avoid having to stay on the bench for extended amounts of time. Jonathan Holmes scored seven points, but only collected two boards before fouling out. Julien Lewis scored six points and collected six boards, but missed all six of his three point attempts and Sheldon McClellan scored only two after going 0-for-4 from the field. Jaylen Bond scored only two points but collected six rebounds despite picking up four fouls, and Alexis Wangmene scored two points but missed crucial free throws down the stretch.

Baylor was led by potential top five NBA pick Perry Jones III who dominated the ‘Horns with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Quincy Acey who had 10 dunks against Texas in 2010, had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Baylor took 13 less shots than Texas due to 18 turnovers compared to nine for the ‘Horns. However, they made up for the turnovers by hitting their shots when they counted most.

Texas shot only 1-of-13 from behind the arc in the first half which helped Baylor take a nine point lead into the break. They broke out of the slump and shot 6-of-12 in the second half bringing them within striking distance near the end of the game. Still, the key to the game was free throw shooting as Baylor converted 27-of-34 ( 79%) as compared to Texas’16-of-26 (61%). This is the second straight sub-par game for Texas from the stripe after two games where they only missed once each. It is becoming apparent that only two players (Brown and Chapman) can hit free throws with consistency as they combined to go 10-of-12 from the line compared to 6-of-14 for the rest of the team. These past two performances have been typical of a Rick Barnes team, as the past couple seasons the ‘Horns have ranked amongst the worst from the line in the entire country. Though coaches can’t be put entirely at fault for free throw woes, when it’s a problem every season, it has to be the system.

Game Grade: B+

The Longhorns continue to come up short in the win column but continue to make games interesting down the stretch. The ‘Horns fell behind yet again 52-40 with 12:55 left in the game and tied it up twice after that at 54-54 and 66-66. Like the last several defeats, they were unable to take the lead or hit shots as time runs off the clock.

Texas went stretches without running any sort of offense, and looked lost going for rebounds. Texas also continues to go too many possessions without Brown touching the ball, and failed to get McClellan going. They also continue to lack consistency behind Brown on the offensive side of the ball, which causes this team to rely on Brown way too much. Ideally, the ‘Horns would play Brown at the point or at least let him run the offense. This would help open up shots for the rest of their team and cut down on the reliance on Brown hitting jumpers and instead drive into the lane and draw fouls. If Texas does this, it could drastically change their results down the stretches of games. Texas is now 0-5 this season in games decided by five points or less and only 1-7 in games decided by seven points or less.

Still, this young team continues to grow and has shown that it can play with anyone in the conference. Based on recent play and the opportunity of time, this team can easily mature which will make for one tough opponent come March. Even then, Texas needs a big win for their resume. Their win against Temple, while a very good one, isn’t enough. Texas will get another crack at Baylor in a few weeks, which could very well be the victory this team needs. However, in the more immediate future, the ‘Horns host Missouri. Texas matches up well against Missouri, and played them very tough to five games ago in Columbia. With the game in Austin and the improvements this team has made since their 84-73 loss, Texas could come away with a victory. It all starts with the basics and Texas needs to continue defending well from behind the arc. Also, they have to hit free throws like they did against Kansas State and Kansas to stay in the game.