NCAA Tournament 2017, Baylor vs USC: Highlights, score and recap

Highlights, score, and recap of the battle between Baylor and New Mexico State in the NCAA Tournament

Baylor has been one of the more intriguing teams in the country all year. After jumping out to a 20-1 record, and holding the No. 1 ranking in the country at one point, the Bears struggled a bit with the back end of their Big 12 schedule. The Bears lost six of their last eleven games, and came into the tournament on a bit of a slide.

RELATED: Updated 2017 NCAA Tournament Bracket

But hey’re still excellent on both sides of the ball. And they battled through a rough first half of their first round NCAA tournament game to lock up a comfortable victory over New Mexico State.

The USC Trojans have been one of the few surprise stories of the tournament. After storming back to win their First Four matchup against Providence, the Trojans continued the run against the SMU Mustangs, a team that had come into the tournament on a 16-game win streak.

The Trojans run a pretty egalitarian offense. Bennie Boatwright probably qualifies as the go-to guy; the sweet-shooting big man uses around 24 percent of the Trojans’ possessions while he’s on the floor, and scores really efficiently from everywhere. But that’s not really that high, and qualifies as by far the biggest on the team. De’Anthony Melton leads the charge on defense, defending the point of attack and generating steals at a high level.

Baylor held a solid lead at halftime, with a 36-31 lead. While the Trojans stayed in contact throughout the first half, Baylor was the better team for much of it, led by contributions from their bench. Both King McClure and Terry Maston were key in the first half for a Baylor offense that temporarily confounded USC’s mix of zone and man on defense.

But it was short-lived. Like they have in their two previous NCAA games, the Trojans went on a second half run to close the deficit. Behind hot outside shooting from the likes of Bennie Boatwright and Elijah Stewart, USC took over the lead and control of the game. A heroic effort from Jonathan Motley kept Baylor close, though foul trouble limited his defensive impact as the half wore on.

With four minutes left, Manu Lecomte took over. The Belgian point guard converted a four point play, hit two free throws, and sank a layup during a personal 8-0 run with Motley on the bench. At the end of the whirlwind, Baylor was up 6, and had a measure of control over the game. Though USC continued to threaten down the stretch, a combination of the lead and some key plays and free throws from Baylor’s veterans was enough to seal the victory. Baylor moved on to the Sweet 16, ending USC’s mini-Cinderella run.

Three Stars

Sorry, USC – there were too many stars for Baylor. The bench for Baylor contributed in a big way again – but this time it was King McClure. The guard buried 5 of his 8 3-point attempts, almost single-handedly providing Baylors 3-point attack. The rest of the team made just two 3-pointers combined. His 17 points off the bench provided another key contribution for a Baylor team that has struggled to wring much out its bench for a lot of the year.

Jonathan Motley was also a hero for Baylor, keeping his team afloat early in a second half in which the offense often struggled. He finished a double-double, scoring 19 points on 9-12 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds. Though late foul trouble kept him on the bench for the latter half of the second frame – and he fouled out with just under two minutes remaining – he was key in getting Baylor to the Sweet 16.

Manu Lecomte was quiet for much of the game, but sealed the game for Baylor in one key stretch with four minutes left in the game, while Jonathan Motley sat on the bench with four fouls. First, he nailed a 3 while getting fouled, and completed the four-point play. On the ensuing possession, he stole the ball and got fouled while trying to pass out for a transition opportunity, then sank both free throws. Finally, after a USC miss, he drove to the heart of USC’s defense and finished a layup. His personal 8-0 run left Baylor up six with four minutes remaining, and the cushion proved enough to help carry Baylor to the Sweet 16.

Highlights

Next Game

Baylor will face the winner of the South Carolina-Duke game. As of this writing, Duke holds a lead, and will have to be considered the favorite to advance. Baylor will have the tough task, should Duke’s lead hold, of taking down the Blue Devils in Madison Square Garden, where its fans will almost certainly travel well. A trip to the Elite Eight will depend on the outcome.