Baylor @ Coastal Carolina preview

No. 23 Baylor entered its first-round game at the Myrtle Beach Invitational in South Carolina averaging nearly 14 offensive rebounds per game and holding a firm plus-eight margin on the glass. The Bears used that formula again and pounded a much smaller Ohio team on the boards to advance to the semifinals of the event against Coastal Carolina on Friday.

Baylor recorded 17 offensive rebounds and held a 42-32 edge overall, leading to a 34-20 edge in points in the paint in the 76-53 triumph. "Hats off to Baylor, they showed they're a top-20 team in the country," Ohio head coach Jeff Boals said. "We knew coming in we had a small margin for error. We had to block out, we had to take care of the basketball and make some shots. We didn't do that and give them credit for that." Jared Butler keyed a late-game run and led Baylor in scoring for a fourth consecutive game with 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting while adding five assists and five steals. Coastal Carolina walloped Utah 79-57 in the other quarterfinal matchup Thursday as Keishawn Brewton scored 22 points off the bench and Ebrima Dibba added 19.

TV: 5 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT BAYLOR (3-1): Butler scored eight points during the decisive 15-0 spurt in the second half and finished 1-of-3 beyond the arc and 6-of-6 from the line. MaCio Teague added 17 points on 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range, while Freddie Gillespie finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds (six offensive), two steals and two blocks for his third double-double in as many games. Butler entered the contest leading the Big 12 in scoring (21.0) and 3-pointers (4.7) and inside the top five in 3-point percentage (56 percent).

ABOUT COASTAL CAROLINA (3-2): Brewton connected on 7-of-13 from the floor and 6-of-9 beyond the arc in 25 minutes to raise his average to a team-high 16.2 points. Sophomore 6-6 guard Dibba (12.6 points, 4.6 assists) shot 7-of-11, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out four assists, and DeVante Jones (15.3 points, 4.5 assists) added 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Tyrell Gumbs-Frater, who entered as the team's leading scorer (16.3 points) and shooting 59 percent from the floor, scored two points on 1-of-7 shooting.

TIP-INS

1. The winner plays the winner of Villanova-Mississippi State for the title on Sunday.

2. Baylor F Tristan Clark, on a 20-minute limit restriction due to his rehabbing a knee injury, scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds in 15 minutes after missing the previous game.

3. Both of Coastal Carolina's losses have been by one point, to Campbell and Northern Kentucky.

PREDICTION: Baylor 84, Coastal Carolina 72