Baylor MBB Comes Up Short, 87-80, Against No. 2 Arizona

[Hutton, Josie]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 24, 2026

Baylor MBB Comes Up Short, 87-80, Against No. 2 Arizona
Bears’ First-Half Surge Fades Late Against Wildcats
For more information contact: Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720, josie_hutton at baylor.edu

WACO, Texas – Baylor men’s basketball refused to back down against No. 2 Arizona, carrying a halftime lead into the break before it ultimately slipped away, falling 87-80 Tuesday night at Foster Pavilion.

Baylor (14-14, 4-11 Big 12) came out firing, building a seven-point halftime lead that marked just the third time this season Arizona has trailed at the break. A tightly contested second half that included nine tied scores caused some commotion, but a late Wildcat push and steady free-throw shooting ultimately put the final margin in Arizona’s favor.

No. 2 Arizona (25-2, 12-2 Big 12) shot 54.5% in the second half compared to 42.9% in the first and remained steady at the free-throw line down the stretch to pull ahead, despite the game being knotted at 74 with less than five minutes to play.

Cameron Carr led the charge with 26 points, setting career highs with 11 field goals made on 18 attempts. Isaac Williams IV and Tounde Yessoufou also reached double figures, with Williams extending his career-best streak to five consecutive games in double-digit scoring.

THE RUNDOWN
Arizona opened the scoring Tuesday night, but Yessoufou answered with a bucket in the paint on the other end, setting the program record for most field goals made by a freshman. Williams followed with a 3-pointer to tie the game at eight early.

Carr connected on his first three of the night to give BU its first lead and ignite a 7-0 Baylor run. Although the surge was briefly halted, the Bears stayed hot offensively and locked in defensively, forcing a 2:21 Wildcat scoring drought to build a 21-14 advantage.

Baylor’s offense then went cold from the field for a stretch, with their only points coming from the line during that span, until Caden Powell found back-to-back buckets to keep the BU lead intact 30-22.

Carr brought Foster Pavilion to its feet with a pair of highlight-reel dunks, and Powell delivered on the defensive end by taking a charge that set up a Michael Rataj and-one bucket. The Wildcats briefly seized the momentum, but the early Baylor lead held firm as the Bears entered halftime with a 41-34 advantage.

The 41-34 deficit marked the Wildcats’ largest halftime deficit since March 8, 2025, against Kansas and just the second time this season they have trailed at the break. Baylor’s first-half performance also made them only the fourth team this season to score 40 or more points in a half against Arizona.

After the break, Yessoufou knocked down his second triple of the night to push BU’s lead into double digits. Arizona trimmed the margin to three at the free-throw line during a three-minute Baylor scoring drought.

The game was knotted at 48 before the Wildcats briefly grabbed the lead, but a Carr triple put the Bears back in front, 51-50. Arizona attempted to swing the momentum once again, but back-to-back dunks from Powell and Carr ignited the home crowd and evened the score at 55.

The two teams traded buckets before a Baylor defensive stop and a pair of Carr jumpers swung the edge back to the Bears. Both offenses stayed hot, as Obi Agbim knocked down two triples and Rataj scored in the paint to keep BU rolling. During the stretch, Baylor shot 4-for-4 while Arizona went 3-for-3, keeping the game tight with the Bears holding a slim 73-71 advantage.

The offensive momentum carried into the final five minutes, but two Wildcat threes swung the lead back in their favor. Carr stopped the brief surge with a block on one end and a layup on the other, cutting the deficit to one with two minutes to play.

In the final minute, Baylor continued to battle, but the Wildcats capitalized at the free-throw line to narrowly secure an 87-80 win.

WHAT’S NEXT
The Bears head to the Sunshine State to face UCF on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT on FS1.

 - BaylorBears.com -



Josie Hutton | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (MBB, FB, MTEN)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: (254) 709-7720
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