Jerrells Leads Baylor Past Colorado

Curtis Jerrells simply wasn't going to let the Baylor Bears lose Saturday.
 
Jerrells scored 29 points and hit a 3-pointer to start a game-finishing 25-5 run that carried the Bears past Colorado 75-57. It was just the second win in the past 10 games for Baylor (17-11, 5-9 Big 12).
 
"We didn't have an answer for him," Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "We couldn't defend him. We had opportunities to hit open shots. We didn't and they did. It's not real complicated."
 
The Buffaloes (9-19, 1-13) led 52-50 before Jerrells put Baylor ahead for good on a 3-pointer with 8:14 remaining. That was about 30 seconds after the last field goal of the game for Colorado, which scored its final seven points on free throws.
 
"The way we closed out the game was tremendous," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "The last 15 times (Colorado) had the ball they didn't get a field goal."
 
Cory Higgins scored 20 to lead the Buffaloes, and Dwight Thorne had 12.
 
LaceDarius Dunn scored 10 for Baylor, followed by Kevin Rogers with nine and Tweety Carter with eight.
 
Jerrells scored more than all of those teammates during just the game-defining run. Besides the 3-pointer, his 11 points included four free throws, a tip-in of a missed shot by Carter and a reverse layup.
 
"My teammates did a good job of finding me," Jerrells said. "They (saw) me knocking down a few shots, kept looking for me, kept patting me on the back, telling me to do it, nobody out there can guard you. So that's what I tried to do."
 
Neither team could put together any offense to start the game. Baylor missed a field goal and committed three turnovers on its first four possessions. Colorado, meanwhile, began 0-3 from the field with a turnover of its own. Baylor scored the first basket of the game with 16:40 left when Dunn hit a 3-pointer.
 
Baylor led by 7 twice in the first period, the last time at 25-18 on Rogers' free throw with 1:59 to play. Colorado closed out the half on a 5-1 run -- with Dwight Thorne hitting two free throws with 1.6 seconds to play -- and Baylor led 26-24 at the break.
 
Knutson scored the first two baskets of the second half to put the Buffaloes up 28-26 with 18:10 left. From there, Baylor went on an 8-0 run -- capped by Rogers' jumper off the glass with 15:51 remaining -- to go ahead 35-28.
 
Consecutive 3-pointers sparked a Colorado rally that put the Buffaloes up 39-37 with 12:05 left.