Baylor Bears vs. Northwestern State: 3 Keys to a Ferrell Center Victory
The No. 12 Baylor men’s basketball team returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 20, at the Ferrell Center when the Bears host the Northwestern State Demons in hopes of pushing their win streak to four games.
Tuesday night’s showdown between the Bears and Demons is slated to tip off at 7 p.m. Central Time and will be televised on ESPN-Plus.
Baylor (8-2) enters Tuesday’s matchup fresh off a 65-59 victory over Washington State on Sunday, Dec. 18, and has won three games in a row — with wins over Gonzaga and Tarleton prior to Sunday’s win over the Cougars.
Northwestern State (8-3), meanwhile, is 3-1 in the month of December — with wins over Stephen F. Austin, Southern Miss, and UL Monroe prior to a lopsided loss at Rice on Saturday, Dec. 17.
The Bears are currently 26-point favorites over the visiting Demons.
With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at a few keys to Baylor coach Scott Drew and the Bears walking away with a win over Northwestern State.
Stingy defense.
Baylor has held opponents to 63 points or less in the last three matchups, and as long as the Bears can continue keeping opposing teams to that number they should easily cruise to a win over the Demons.
The Bears are also averaging nine steals and 3.3 blocks per game, with Baylor's trio of starting guards averaging at least one steal per contest (Adam Flagler with 1.8, Keyonte George with 1.3 and LJ Cryer with 1.0).
Potent offense.
Baylor is averaging 82.6 points per contest, with the Bears' guard trio once again leading the way (George with 16.0, Flagler with 15.7 and Cryer with 15.3).
The Bears also average nine assists per game, with Flagler leading the team with 5.7 assists per contest.
In addition, the Bears garner 35.7 rebounds per game, giving the team plenty of opportunities for second-chance shots or fast-break runs.
As long as Baylor can continue draining open threes and hitting shots in the paint, the Bears should coast to a win over the Demons at the Ferrell Center.
Bring the energy.
This may be a given, but it's sometimes difficult for ranked teams to get pumped up against non-conference opponents on their home court.
But the Bears need to bring the same energy they would against a team such as Gonzaga when they face the Demons on Tuesday night.
And as long as they do just that, expect an outcome similar to that against Tarleton (a 23-point victory for Baylor) earlier this month.
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Denton Ramsey has been a journalist for over 20 years with a decade of experience as a sports writer and editor for a plethora of newspapers throughout Texas and Alabama. Growing up in Houston and attending Baylor University, Ramsey is a die-hard sports fan with a true passion for writing. He may be reached via email at denton.itb@gmail.com