Northwestern was no match for No. 7 Baylor’s athleticism Sunday at Welsh-Ryan Arena, falling 69-41 in a lackluster performance.
“(Coach Pat) Fitzgerald and the football team always say ‘flush that,'” coach Bill Carmody said. “I don’t like that. It’s too graphic for me but I guess it’s what we have to do.”
NU (7-1) saw its seven-game winning streak end in lopsided fashion, as Baylor (7-0) held a double-digit lead for the final 24 minutes and 30 seconds in the first-ever meeting between the teams.
The Wildcats shot an anemic 24 percent from the field, including 15 percent from three-point range. Junior guard Drew Crawford led NU with 15 points on just 5-of-18 shooting.
“We just came out flat,” Crawford said. “Something we said we had to do was come out with energy. We didn’t do that and they got us from the start.”
Senior Quincy Acy controlled the paint with six of Baylor’s nine blocks, and coach Scott Drew gushed about his effort.
“Acy was spectacular at setting the tone of the defensive end,” Drew said. “He gives us that toughness inside.”
Acy also tied junior Pierre Jackson with a game-high 16 points. The two combined to make 15 of their 18 shots, which contributed to Baylor’s 60 percent clip from the floor. NU was outscored 46-12 in the paint and had no answer for Acy or sophomore Perry Jones III.
There were few positives on the NU sidelines. Senior forward John Shurna had one of the poorest outings of his career, making four of his 19 attempts. Starters Dave Sobolewski and Reggie Hearn failed to record a field goal.
After NU senior center Luka Mirkovic opened scoring, Baylor went on a 10-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Jackson.
With the Cats down 12-7, Sobolewski, Shurna and junior guard Alex Marcotullio missed three-pointers on the same possession. Despite corralling 16 offensive rebounds on the afternoon, NU had only nine second-chance points.
The Cats cut the lead to 19-16 with 8:36 remaining in the opening half, before the Bears took control of the game.
Mirkovic and senior forward Davide Curletti struggled against Baylor’s physical interior play. As Jackson drove the lane at will, NU conceded open looks inside. Jones scored eight points during a 19-5 run to end the half.
“They’re the most athletic team we’ve seen,” Sobolewski said. “Like Drew said, we didn’t come out to play.”
NU fared no better in the late stages of the game. Sophomore Brady Heslip knocked down a triple and followed with a layup to put the Bears up 49-25, their largest lead to that point. Carmody then called a timeout with the outcome essentially sealed.
The Cats’ shooting woes persisted, as they made just two field goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Shurna drove the basket on several occasions only to run into the heart of Baylor’s zone. The Bears avoided transition opportunities, allowing zero fast-break points.
“In practice, we compete against each other and take it personally,” Acy said. “It’s nice to take it out on someone else.”
Baylor was dominant in its first game against a major conference opponent this season, and Drew attributed the performance to a growing sense of teamwork.
“What I’ve been impressed with is the unselfishness of the players,” Drew said. “They buy into ‘team.'”
NU has a break for final exams before facing Texas Southern on Dec. 15 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
“We’re a hungry team,” Crawford said. “Especially after a loss like that, we want to bounce back.”
