No. 3 Baylor exits in Round of 32 for second-straight year

MEMPHIS, TN ( FOX 44 ) — The Baylor Bears are heading back to Waco after furious second-half comeback falls short leading to another second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament at the hands of the six-seed Clemson Tigers, 72-64.

Many Bears fans thought the days of slow starts were behind Scott Drew’s squads after setting program offensive records in offensive efficiency in the first round against Colgate. However, another tough start shooting the ball reared its ugly head on Sunday.

Discounting another solid first half from Ja’Kobe Walter with the freshman turning in 10 points, the rest of the Bears struggled to get anything going on offense. An 8-24 mark from the field along with a double-clutch three point buzzer beater from Chase Hunter gave Clemson a 10-point lead heading into the halftime break.

The Baylor faithful returned to what they’ve always known this season, hoping the Bears would make a push in the second half. However, Clemson didn’t let up. The Tigers extended their lead to as much as 15 points with under seven minutes remaining in the game.

Free throw shooting became an issue down the stretch, with the Bears only converting on 57.9 percent of their shots from the stripe. Despite this, Walter and RayJ Dennis did their best to bring the Bears back. 31 combined points in the second half cut the Clemson lead to as little as six points at the under four media timeout.

A three-point play from Ja’Kobe Walter pulled the Bears within a single possession for the first time since 5:25 remaining in the first half.

Walter forced a steal and drew a foul on Clemson star PJ Hall to force Hall’s fifth foul and send Walter to the line with two free throws and a chance to tie the game. Walter missed both free throws and Clemson sealed the game down the stretch.

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