Baylor firms up NCAA standing after victory at Iowa State

After losing three of their last four games, the Baylor Bears started to look like a team that might be slipping below eight line in the NCAA Tournament projections.

No more.

Baylor showed some toughness and resilience on the road Tuesday night, taking down 19th-ranked Iowa State, 73-69.

The Bears were bolstered by freshman Jared Butler’s 17 points. Also, Division III transfer Freddie Gillespie came through with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Coming into the game, Baylor had been projected as a No. 8 seed and Iowa State a No. 5 in various bracket projections.

Now, such thinking could be up to debate after the Bears handed the Cyclones their second straight home loss.

“They came in here and kicked our butts,” Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said in an Associated Press story. “We’ve got to find a way to be tougher. That’s the bottom line.”

Butler, a 6-3 guard from Reserve, Louisiana, produced a layup and a three-point shot down the stretch.

Gillespie, a transfer from Carleton College in Minnesota, provided an inside presence that allowed the Bears to outrebound the Cyclones, 44-28.

“I’m just really proud of the way our guys responded in a tough place to play down the stretch,” Baylor coach Scott Drew told the AP.

Records

Baylor 17-9, 8-5
Iowa State 19-7, 8-5