Baylor @ Tenn-Martin preview

Baylor will look to pick up where it left off Wednesday as the 11th-ranked Bears return to the court after eight days off to compete against Tennessee Martin in the inaugural Battleground 2K19 event at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Three of the Bears’ last four games have been victories over ranked opponents as they’ve knocked off No. 14 Villanova, No. 17 Arizona, and most recently led wire-to-wire in a 53-52 triumph over No. 16 Butler on Dec. 10.

The most crucial of Mark Vital’s career-high-tying three blocks against Butler came with 1.5 seconds remaining to secure Baylor’s one-point victory as the versatile junior added seven points, five boards, a pair of steals and a 3-pointer – his seventh successful make from downtown in 76 collegiate games. “I just play my role. I love the game every day and practice every day,” Vital told reporters. “(Baylor coach Scott Drew) tells me what he needs from me, and I try to do my best because you never know when it’s your last time playing the game. I try giving it my all.” The Bears have won with defense as the offense has struggled the last two games with a season-worst 30-percent shooting performance in their 63-58 win over the Wildcats, followed by a season-low 19-point second-half effort against the Bulldogs, where they were held scoreless for the final 3:40 of the game. A matchup with UT Martin may be exactly what Baylor’s offense needs as the Skyhawks were the nation’s 344th-ranked defense entering Tuesday - giving up 83.3 points per game – and are the worst team in the country at defending the 3-pointer as they allow opponents to shoot 44.2 percent from downtown.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT BAYLOR (8-1): Senior Devonte Bandoo and junior MaCio Teague led a balanced scoring effort against Butler with 10 points apiece while leading scorer Jared Butler (17.4 points per game) was held to a season-low eight points after his second straight 3-for-12 shooting exhibition. Senior Freddie Gillespie added eight points, nine rebounds and three blocks, and seems ready for conference play after the Bears handed both Arizona and Butler their first loss of the season. “It’s huge. It helps build confidence,” Gillespie told reporters. “You know the Big 12 is known for its parity, so it helps our preparation for that.”

ABOUT UT MARTIN (3-6): The Skyhawks will finish off an eight-game road trip against Baylor and are coming off their fifth loss in six games on Saturday – a 91-72 setback to UNC Asheville. Sophomore Parker Stewart led the way with 21 points, eight rebounds and a career-best five assists off the bench while senior guard Craig Randall chipped in with 20 points and a career-best seven rebounds. Senior Quintin Dove is averaging 16.8 points and a team-best 6.6 rebounds per game but was limited to six points and three boards against Asheville.

TIP-INS

1. Baylor ranks last in the Big 12 in field goal percentage (42.6) but owns the conference's second-best rate from 3-point range (35.9).

2. Gillespie was tied for 21st nationally with 3.8 offensive rebounds per game entering Tuesday while Dove was tied for 30th with 3.6.

3. Teague has made a 3-pointer in 34 consecutive games but was 1-for-8 from downtown against Butler – the seventh time during his streak that he’s been limited to a single triple.

PREDICTION: Baylor 92, UT Martin 67