Texas Tech @ Baylor preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 7, 2020 ) Baylor 57, Texas Tech 52

For much of the season second-ranked Baylor looked like a team destined for a Big 12 title, but two losses in the last three games has the Bears looking up at No. 1 Kansas. Baylor will look to rebound from a late collapse against TCU on Saturday in a quick-turnaround, home contest against suddenly-stumbling No. 21 Texas Tech on Monday.

Baylor dropped a 64-61 decision at home to Kansas on Feb. 22 that snapped its school-record 23-game winning streak, but rebounded well with a rout of Kansas State. However, the Horned Frogs' Desmond Bane drained five 3-pointers to fuel an 18-1 run late in the Bears' 75-72 loss on Saturday, and now Baylor finds itself one game behind the Jayhawks with two to play for the Big 12 regular-season title. "People probably thought we would have won here today," Baylor coach Scott Drew told reporters Saturday. "That's the Big 12. Normally, what makes the Big 12 so good, is it's so hard to win on the road. TCU showed you that today. They've beaten three ranked teams here." Texas Tech, which sits alone in third place in the Big 12, has dropped two straight after winning five of six games and finishes the regular season Saturday by hosting Kansas after taking on the Bears.

TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (18-11, 9-7 Big 12): The Red Raiders led by seven at the half Saturday against visiting Texas, but scored just 21 points in the final 20 minutes in dropping a 68-58 decision. Freshman Jahmi'us Ramsey (15.5 points - fifth in the Big 12), who was scoreless in 20 minutes in a loss to Oklahoma last Tuesday, recorded 13 points to lead the way against the Longhorns, but Texas Tech shot 39.2 percent from the field and were outrebounded 30-23. The Red Raiders make their mark on both ends of the floor from beyond the arc as they are shooting a Big 12-best 39.1 percent in league games while holding opponents to 27.6 percent - also tops.

ABOUT BAYLOR (25-3, 14-2): Freddie Gillespie (9.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.2 blocks) scored 18 and added a career-high 17 rebounds versus the Horned Frogs. Jared Butler (15.8 points, team-high 74 3-pointers) added 18 points and a career-high nine rebounds. "I think they shoot the 3 pretty well, and that was one of our points of emphasis going into it," Butler told reporters. "In the second half, we just didn't execute the game plan like we said. We didn't want to give them any 3s, and they had too many open looks and too many shots they could make, and they made them."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Bears lead the all-time series 23-19, including a 57-52 win on Jan. 7 behind 14 points from Davion Mitchell and a 44-25 advantage on the boards. Ramsey scored 20 points for the Red Raiders.

2. The Red Raiders lead the conference in Big 12 games in steals (8.4), but ranks ninth in defensive rebounds per game (21.3).

3. Gillespie is tied for second in the Big 12 in double-doubles (11), Butler is third in scoring (15.8) and eighth in 3-point shooting (38.7), although the sophomore is shooting just 34.2 from behind the arc in conference contests.

PREDICTION: Baylor 68, Texas Tech 61