Indianapolis, Indiana- Baylor hadn’t looked like Baylor on the defensive end. Since the return, the Bears ranked 190th in adjusted defensive efficiency. A mark good enough to make Baylor the possibility of Baylor joining Virginia as the only No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed a possibility.
With that framework in mind, Baylor faced a daunting task when Mark Vital picked up his second foul with 18:19 left in the first half. The Bears trailed 10-8 not longer after, and as the team clanked enough threes to start 1-of-8 from distance, things felt a bit tense.