Fwd: Battle 4 Atlantis Championship - Baylor 75, Michigan State 58

[Kaye, David]

David Kaye  | Assistant AD for Communications
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-709-5147

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Courtney Archer <carcher at southland.org>
Date: November 26, 2021 at 2:54:28 PM EST
To: katie.longley at atlantisparadise.com
Subject: Battle 4 Atlantis Championship - Baylor 75, Michigan State 58



BAYLOR PULLS AWAY FOR 75-58 VICTORY OVER MICHIGAN STATE

TO WIN THE BAD BOY MOWERS BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS CHAMPIONSHIP



PARADISE ISLAND, THE BAHAMAS (November 26, 2021) – It’s a new season, but so far, the same result for the Baylor Bears.



[Postgame Press Conferences<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Fdrive%2Ffolders%2F1PFTVNVtuUJV7Ktbd-1J2tjoMJdWc6m3r%3Fusp%3Dsharing&data=04%7C01%7Cdavid_kaye%40baylor.edu%7C9da8967f8e604fef295308d9b11654a4%7C22d2fb35256a459bbcf4dc23d42dc0a4%7C0%7C0%7C637735532675718103%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=7cu0Sa75IbAZMxycEdt2MPrASAbYoo7OYnsYt10xXH0%3D&reserved=0>]



Baylor is starting to make a habit of winning tournament championships. Less than eight months after the Bears captured the NCAA national title, they won the 2021 Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis by defeating Michigan State 75-58. Baylor also won this tournament in 2016.



A 7-0 run to end the first half gave the sixth-ranked Bears (7-0) a 38-36 halftime lead. Baylor then dominated the second half, allowing only seven total baskets (and no 3-pointers), giving up just one assist and outrebounding the Spartans 21-13.



“I couldn’t be more pleased and proud of these guys,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said of his team. “Defensively in the second half, we really imposed our will.”



It actually began with the late run in the first half and carried through the second half. Over the final 22 minutes of the game, the Spartans (5-2) were 7-of-21 from the field. During that same span, Baylor went 18-for-35.



“Most of the things we do on offense is predicated on our defense,” said Baylor guard James Akinjo, who had 15 points and five assists and won the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award. “Once we’re able to establish ourselves defensively, get some stops and get out in transition, we really become fun to watch and hard to guard. We have so many weapons with shooters and finishers.”



Indeed, the Bears followed their 7-0 finish to the first half with a 17-6 run to start the second. That gave Baylor a 55-42 lead with 14 minutes left, and the margin remained in double digits the rest of the way.



“We played 2½ games of pretty good basketball. It just looked like we ran out of gas,” MSU coach Tom Izzo said. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t really compete in the second half.”



MSU guard Jayden Akins, who finished with 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting and three rebounds, agreed. “We didn’t come out to play in the second half as a team,” he said. “We have to do better than that.”



The Spartans committed 19 turnovers in the game while forcing Baylor into only 10. As a result, the Bears outscored Michigan State off turnovers 22-13.



“They just keeping bring waves at you. They all play their roles very well,” Izzo said of the Bears. “The best team definitely won the tournament. They deserve all the credit. They run their stuff well.



“I’ll probably help their recruiting before I’m done. I just felt so good about how they played, I kind of enjoyed watching them.”



One thing Drew enjoyed watching was the tournament’s on-court postgame festivities, which included traditional music and dancing of The Bahamas.



“I wanted to make sure that our guys were part of the postgame celebration,” Drew said. “The first time (in 2016), I was blown away by how cool it was. The music even gets some of us older coaches out there dancing.”



And for the 2021 Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis champion Baylor Bears, that is good preparation for the Big Dance yet to come.



2021 Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament Team

James Akinjo, Baylor (MVP)

Kendall Brown, Baylor

Gabe Brown, Michigan State

Adama Sanogo, Connecticut

Jabari Smith, Auburn



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