The NCAA men’s tournament saw the Auburn Tigers get defeated by the Baylor Bears and the concluding score was 88-82. In the first half of the game, the Tigers played incredibly.
The player who shined the most in the game was five-star freshman guard Ja’Kobe Walter. The Baylor Bears are currently ranked No. 20 and they were able to defeat the Auburn Tigers at the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota. Majorly led to the win by Walter points.
The freshman guard scored 28 points, and by scoring incredibly, he made history as he took the fourth spot among the players who scored a great number in their Big 12 collegiate debut.
Ja'Kobe Walter scored 28 points in tonight’s win over Auburn, the 4th-most points in a collegiate debut in Big 12 history.
Only Michael Beasley (32) at Kansas State, James Anderson (29) at Oklahoma State and J.R. Raymond (29) at Oklahoma recorded more points in their debut. pic.twitter.com/gGa025c9Yf
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 8, 2023
According to ESPN Stats and Info, "Ja"Kobe Walter scored 28 points in tonight’s win over Auburn, the 4th-most points in a collegiate debut in Big 12 history.
Only Michael Beasley (32) at Kansas State, James Anderson (29) at Oklahoma State and J.R. Raymond (29) at Oklahoma recorded more points in their debut."
ICYMI, or you just want to relive it, here's all 16 points from Baylor's 16-5 close in the final 3:38 to beat Auburn tonight in Sioux Falls, as the Bears go 75% from the field and 82% from the free throw line to close out the Tigers and start the season 1-0. pic.twitter.com/aLLDMuomIv
— Eric Kelly (@EricKellyTV) November 8, 2023
According to Baylor Lariat, the head coach of the Baylor Bears, Scott Drew, shared, "The game is a game of momentum,"
"In the first half, we had 11 turnovers, but we finished the game with just four in the second half, and that’s Baylor basketball."
"This is a win that helps you come March. It’s a great first game because you get exposed quick — a lot of the heart we had, maybe our Culture of Joy. … Not everybody played their best game, but they all stuck together and found a way."
Walter also shared, "I leaned on my teammates,"
"They just encouraged me, and the coaching staff, they just encouraged me to keep going."
RayJ Dennis, the senior guard, and Yves Missi, the freshman center, were the players who scored in double figures. Missi let his dominance flow in the defence and gave a great boost to the squad.
Walter further shared about Missi, "Yves is a freak,"
"It’s not crazy to us. Since summer, he’s been doing that. Him doing that, we just expect that every game out of him. That was a very big play. That’s what we needed to get us going — just a big-time play by Yves. [He] showed up when we needed him to."
YVES MISSI THREW IT DOWN FOR BAYLOR 🔨@BaylorMBB pic.twitter.com/BZ2N6I1jtx
— ESPN (@espn) November 8, 2023
Their head coach further revealed, "They are who I thought they were,"
"I enjoy coaching them. Practice, we know what they’re capable of, and now the challenge is just blending everybody and getting them to get better, because it’s a race to the end of the season. It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish."
