No. 1 Baylor Bears make men’s college basketball history with second home loss in week

WACO, Texas — Baylor became the first AP No. 1 team in men’s college basketball history to lose two home games in a week after Oklahoma State stunned them on Saturday with a 61-54 victory.

Baylor (15-2, 3-2 Big 12) had won a national-best 21 games in a row dating back to last season before its loss Tuesday night at home to Texas Tech. The reigning national and Big 12 champions led for only 16 seconds Saturday against an Oklahoma State team playing their third Big 12 road game in five days while traveling more than 3,200 miles.

After trailing by as many as 17 points in the second half, the Bears were within 55-54 with 1:21 left when LJ Cryer made two free throws to cap a 14-2 run. They didn’t score again.

“They’re not very happy,” Bears senior Matthew Mayer said when asked the mood of the coaches.

“We dug ourselves in a big hole. … If the hole wasn’t that big, then we would have been able to win the game,” said Cryer, who had 18 points and didn’t sense any hangover from the loss to Tech. “I felt like that had nothing to do with this loss.”

Cowboys guard Bryce Thompson scored the game’s final six points and finished with 18. He made two free throws with 26 seconds left before Bears guard Adam Flagler had turnovers on consecutive possessions — losing the ball out of bounds on a drive to the basket, then a bad pass. Thompson was fouled making the steal and made two more free throws before a game-capping breakaway dunk after Baylor missed its last shot.

The Cowboys (9-7, 2-3 Big 12) began their week with a 10-point loss at West Virginia on Tuesday, then two nights later lost 78-57 at Texas Tech, after the Red Raiders had just beaten Baylor at the Ferrell Center.

“It’s been one heck of a week in terms of what we’ve had to face competition-wise and travel-wise,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton said. “But for those guys to show the resilience, and the determination and courage to come out and play with the amount of energy that was required … If we play with any…