Brett Decker Jr. scored 18 points to lead a balanced attack with four Baylor players in double figures as the Bears rolled to a 90-61 victory over Yale on Tuesday night in Waco, Texas.
Decker Jr. exploded for 14 second-half points as the Bears (3-0) put away after leading by 11 at the break. The Mingo brothers, Dylan and Kayden, added 16 and 15, respectively.
Facing his former team, Baylor forward Isaac Celiscar finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
Riley Fox and Courtney Wallace co-led the Bulldogs (1-2) with 13 points apiece. Fox led the team in rebounding with six boards and made 3-of-6 3-point attempts.
The Bears shot 53.2% from the field compared to Yale’s 40.7% and recorded 12 steals, forcing 17 Bulldog turnovers that led to 24 points.
Baylor dominated inside, outscoring Yale 48-18 in the paint and finishing with a 37-28 rebounding advantage.
Yale hit 7 of its first 13 attempts from the floor and led 18-15 with 12:04 left in the first half, thanks in part to a stretch where the Bears missed nine straight shots.
Baylor took the lead for good on a Caden Powell layup that made it 23-22 with 6:07 remaining in the half.
Wallace scored the last 8 points of the half for the Bulldogs, but he couldn’t keep pace with a Baylor offense that found its stride late and scored 18 points in the final six minutes.
With 0.7 seconds left in the half, Dylan Mingo drew a foul while attempting a 3-pointer and made two free throws to give the Bears a 41-30 halftime advantage.
Baylor’s 29-point winning margin was its largest lead of the night. It weathered a 7-for-14 3-point shooting barrage from the Bulldogs in the second half by forcing 10 turnovers and shooting 51.6% as a team.