Bears channel their inner-Kobe?

March, 19, 2010
3/19/10
11:30
AM CT
NEW ORLEANS -- When Sam Houston State's Ashton Mitchell drove the lane and dropped in a layup to tie Baylor at 55-55 with 3:48 remaining in their first-round NCAA tournament game, the No. 14 Bearkats could smell an upset of the No. 3 Bears.

But, Baylor Bears had been here before, playing tightly contested games all season. Remember, through 33 games entering the contest with Sam Houston, the Bears hadn't lost by more than seven points and they had seven wins by five points or less, so they understand the pressures of crunch time.

Baylor forward Ekpe Udoh said the team has a name for it.

"We call it Kobe time," Udoh said. "So we just buckled down, stayed aggressive and pulled out the win."

The Bears channeled the Lakers superstar after Mitchell tied it up, going on an 8-0 run over the next 2:44 for a 63-55 lead with 1:04 to go.

Udoh, A.J. Walton and Quincy Acy all came up with key steals. The run finally sprang LaceDarius Dunn, who scored six of his 13 points in the stretch. Sam Houston's surprising triangle-and-two defense caused Dunn and Tweety Carter problems throughout the game.

The Bears just might need to turn to "Kobe time" in Saturday's second-round game with a trip to the Sweet 16 in Houston on the line. No. 11 Old Dominion Monarchs pulled out a 51-50 win over No. 6 Notre Dame on Thursday.

Saturday's tip time is 4:50 p.m.

SPONSORED HEADLINES

ESPN Conversations


You must be signed in to post a comment

Already have an account?

103.3 FM ESPN PODCASTS

Fitzsimmons & Durrett: Kirk Herbstreit

Kirk Herbstreit joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss Bob Stoops' recent comments about the SEC and the pending college football playoff, what appears to be an unpredictable Big 12 in 2013, how the Aggies will handle expectations and more.

Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M

Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin talks about the improvements being made to Kyle Field, what those improvements will to for the program, the success of last year, Johnny Manziel's offseason and the expectations for the Aggies in 2013.

One Big Thing 5.3

Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo talk about Texas A&M's decision to expand its stadium and say although the Aggies had a fantastic year, the school must also be careful not to overextend its resources based on a single hot stretch.

Fitzsimmons & Durrett: Art Briles

Baylor head coach Art Briles joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss what kind of player the Cowboys are getting in Terrance Williams.

Fitzsimmons & Durrett: Luke Joeckel

Arlington and Texas A&M product Luke Joeckel, the potential No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, joins Ian Fitzsimmons and Richard Durrett to discuss the draft, coaches and advice from his dad.

Fitzsimmons & Durrett: Ken Kavanagh

Florida Gulf Coast athletic director Ken Kavanagh joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss his school's Cinderella story and playing in the Sweet 16 at Cowboys Stadium.

Fitzsimmons & Durrett: Bob Bowlsby

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby joins Fizsimmons & Durrett to discuss Cowboys Stadium as a venue, the state of Big 12 basketball, the new 2014 college football format, why there's no hurry to have a Big 12 football championship and much more.

Fitzsimmons & Durrett: Jay Bilas

Jay Bilas joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett to discuss the remaining 16 teams in the NCAA tournament, the intrigue surrounding the Northwest Region and the excitement over FGCU, even though a similar story happens every year.

DALLAS CALENDAR

  •    There are no games scheduled for today.
  •    There are no games scheduled for today.
  •    There are no games scheduled for today.
  •    There are no games scheduled for today.
  •    There are no games scheduled for today.