WACO, Texas -- The Big 12's top newcomer last season is off to a fast start for No. 24 Baylor. And the Bears are already going deep.
Manu Lecomte, the Belgium-born senior point guard and former Miami transfer, had six of Baylor's 12 3-pointers while scoring 22 points to lead the Bears to a season-opening 107-66 victory over the University of Central Arkansas on Friday.
All five starters, plus Terry Maston off the bench with 14 points and 10 rebounds, scored in double figures. Baylor, an NCAA Sweet 16 team last season, set single-game school records by shooting 71 percent on 3-pointers (12 of 17) and 66.1 percent overall (39 of 59).
"First game, you never know what it's going to be like," coach Scott Drew said. "If you could get 85 percent from the free throw line and 66 percent from the field and 71 from 3, you probably want to end the season right there. ... We really executed well offensively."
Lecomte made four 3s in the first 9 1/2 minutes as the Bears took a 27-12 lead. Baylor never trailed after his long-range shot made it 10-8.
"I thought I had open 3s, that's what I do. My teammates did a great job of pushing the ball and finding me," Lecomte said. "All I do is run and spot up. I've just got to shoot it."
Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., the returning 7-footer, scored 17 and had nine rebounds for Baylor. Nuni Omot, King McClure and true freshman Tristan Clark each scored 15 points.
Jordan Howard scored 22 and Mathieu Kamba had 12 points for Central Arkansas in the first meeting between the two teams both nicknamed the Bears.
"The second half, we got a little bit discouraged," UCA coach Russ Pennell said. "If you don't watch it, you start playing the scoreboard too much when you play these big teams and you're not getting any better. I didn't feel like the second half we got better. I thought the first half we fought it all right."
SUN BELT MEN
EVANSVILLE 77,
ARKANSAS STATE 63
Ryan Taylor scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lift Evansville to a victory over Arkansas State University at Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., in the season opener for both teams.
K.J. Riley added 12 points while playing 16 minutes. Dru Smith had 11 points in 24 minutes and Danius Chatkevicius added 10 points in 25 minutes to lead the Purple Aces. Evansville shot 45.1 percent from the floor and made 26-of-34 free throws while the Red Wolves were held to 40.7 percent from the floor while making 10-of-12 free throws.
Ty Cockfield led the Red Wolves with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Connor Kern had 10 points in 27 minutes.
SOUTHLAND WOMEN
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 79,
HENDRIX 22
Taylor Sells and Kamry Orr both scored 14 points to lead the University of Central Arkansas women’s team to a victory over Hendrix College in the season opener for both teams at the Farris Center in Conway.
Sells shot 6-of-8 from the floor while Orr shot 5 of 9 while making 2-of-4 three-pointers. As a team, the Sugar Bears shot 54.7 percent (29-of-53) from the floor and 16-of-22 from the line. Eleven different players scored for Central Arkansas, which led 23-4 after the first quarter, 45-5 at halftime and 62-11 after three quarters.
Central Arkansas held Hendrix to 8-of-41 field-goal shooting, including 2-of-12 on three-pointers and forced 32 turnovers. Central Arkansas outscored Hendrix 44-8 in the lane, and had 37 points off turnovers.
Whitney Woods led Hendrix with 6 points.
SWAC WOMEN
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 71,
TOUGALOO 51
Muhammad Malik and Shawntayla Harris both scored 12 points while Faith Ohanta added 11 to lead the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to a victory over Tougaloo at H.O. Clemmons Arena in Pine Bluff in the season opener for both teams.
Malik shot 4-of-11 from the floor and made 3-of-6 free throws. Harris shot 5-of-7 from the floor and added 8 rebounds. Ohanta shot 4-of-9 from the floor and made 3-of-7 free throws while grabbing 6 rebounds.
The Golden Lions (1-0) won despite shooting 26-of-68 from the floor, including 2-of-17 on three-pointers and 17-of-35 on free throws, and being outrebounded 44-55.
They forced 34 turnovers, scoring 23 points off them.
Tougaloo was held to 33.3 percent field-goal shooting. Montoria Atkins led Tougaloo with 11 points and 16 rebounds.
Both teams were tied 25-25 at halftime before Arkansas-Pine Bluff outscored Tougaloo 46-26 in the second half.
Sports on 11/11/2017