March Madness 2022: Baylor opens with big win over Norfolk State

Matthew Mayer simply knew it was an ideal cross he become a half-ending breakaway dunk for defending nationwide champion Baylor. He wasn’t actually positive what occurred earlier than he received the ball.

“I believed it was like a rebound or one thing, after which suddenly the ball was excellent in entrance of me,” Mayer mentioned. “I used to be like, ‘Wow, that was nice.’”

Mayer scored a career-high 22 factors, together with that punctuating half-ending dunk with a salute, because the top-seeded Bears opened the NCAA Match with an 85-49 victory over Norfolk State on Thursday.

Jeremy Sochan did seize a rebound to begin the play, and received credited with an help on Mayer’s dunk.

“I didn’t actually cross it to him, however I’ll take it. I’ll take it,” the pink-haired Sochan mentioned with a chuckle.

After Joe Bryant tumbled to the ground when lacking a layup, Sochan took a few dribbles whereas nonetheless within the lane. Norfolk State’s Tyrese Jenkins then reached from behind and swatted the ball out of his palms — into the air previous midcourt, the place it bounced as soon as to a breaking Mayer, who received previous Terrance Jones for the dunk.

“First, I ought to have dumped it off to my large man, who was huge open. I fell, so I couldn’t actually see what occurred,” mentioned Bryant, the Mid-Japanese Athletic Convention participant of the 12 months who had 15 factors.

Freshman standout Sochan had 15 factors and 7 rebounds for the Bears (27-6), who needed to journey lower than 100 miles from their Waco campus for the East Area opener and first NCAA tourney sport at Dickies Enviornment. They may play the North Carolina-Marquette winner within the second spherical Saturday.

Mayer, who completed 8-of-12 taking pictures with 4 3s, directed a salute along with his left hand towards the Spartans’ pep band after the dunk with the Bears up 43-27 at halftime.

“An enormous play, a giant play, to finish the primary half,” Norfolk State coach Robert Jones mentioned.

Jenkins hit a 3-pointer to begin the scoring within the second half, however Norfolk State by no means received nearer.

The Sixteenth-seeded Spartans (24-7) have been taking part in 10 years and a day after pulling off one of many largest upsets in NCAA Match historical past. They have been a No. 15 seed and 21 1/2-point underdog after they beat Missouri 86-84.

Norfolk State was one of many largest underdogs in first-round video games this 12 months, at 20 1/2 factors, in accordance with FanDuel Sportsbook, and by no means got here shut this time.

“At some stretches, I believe we let the second get away from us a bit of bit,” Jones mentioned.

Flo Thamba scored 14 factors and Adam Flagler had 11 factors for the Bears. James Akinjo, the graduate switch from Arizona who additionally beforehand performed at Georgetown, had 10 factors and 10 assists in his first-ever NCAA tourney sport.

Baylor, which shot 57% from the sector and made 11 3-pointers, led all through. Flagler hit a 3 and made a nifty floater within the lane to make it 5-0.

“It was enjoyable to observe. Not many issues to complain about this sport for positive,” mentioned coach Scott Drew, per week after Baylor misplaced within the Massive 12 event quarterfinals. “I believe that was a acutely aware effort of all people to come back out and be much more aggressive in each halves. And we did that, and set the tone early.”

BIG PICTURE

Norfolk State: Senior guard Jalen Hawkins, the workforce’s second-leading scorer at 13.4 factors a sport, didn’t play the primary half due to a violation of workforce guidelines. “Integrity first,” Jones mentioned when requested about what led to Hawkins being penalized. The guard didn’t enter the sport till 16:45 remained and the Spartans have been down 56-35 by time he took his first shot two minutes later — an airball on an extended 3-pointer. He then got here out of the sport, and by no means returned.

Baylor: Mayer has been inconsistent at instances this season as a full-time starter after no begins his first three seasons. However the 6-foot-9 senior is a high-energy participant on each ends of the ground who can rating in bunches. He might have a huge effect within the tourney with the Bears lacking their large man often called “On a regular basis Jon.” Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua suffered a season-ending left knee harm Feb. 12.

FLO’S FAMILY

Thamba’s French-speaking mother and father noticed him play a school sport in particular person for the primary time. Earlier this month, he noticed his sister for the primary time in 10 years when she got here from England for his senior day.

“After the sport, after the buzzer got here off and it went off after which simply strolling on the aspect, seeing them smiling and cheering, it meant rather a lot to me. It was particular,” mentioned Thamba, who’s initially from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, grew up in South Africa and likewise lived in England and France earlier than coming to the US.

UP NEXT

Baylor: The Bears have superior previous the primary spherical in 5 consecutive NCAA appearances since opening-round losses to 14th-seeded Georgia State in 2015 and Twelfth-seeded Yale the next 12 months.