Freeman scores 20, No. 20 Baylor beats Jackson State 77-60
WACO, Texas (AP) Al Freeman was a below average 3-point shooter last season. He's a hot one right now.
Baylor's sophomore guard scored 20 points and No. 20 Baylor overcame a slow start to defeat Jackson State 77-60 on Friday night.
Freeman hit 4 of 7 3-point shots, a successful follow-up to his 22-point performance during a loss at No. 25 Oregon on Monday when he was 4 of 8 from beyond the arc.
Last season, Freeman converted 32.3 percent of his 3-pointers. He said practice and mechanical tweaks in the offseason have helped.
''I spent a lot of time on my jump shot,'' Freeman said. ''Get your elbow tucked in, use more arc. The smallest things to jump-shot mechanics can make a difference.''
Baylor coach Scott Drew is not surprised at the improvement.
''Al's one of those guys that spends an enormous amount of time in the gym,'' Drew said. ''You can't put a ceiling on people like that.''
Jackson State (1-2) made its first six shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, and was ahead 12-2. The Tigers then missed 19 of 22 the rest of the half, going scoreless for more than 10 minutes as Baylor (2-1) used a 13-0 run for a 29-24 lead at the break.
Jackson State coach Wayne Brent said Baylor stopped the Tigers' momentum by switching from its usual zone defense to man-to-man.
''We practiced for their zone,'' Brent said. ''When they play zone, we are going to spot up and shoot. When they played man, they kind of shocked us. They were so aggressive and threw our rhythm off.''
Taurean Prince scored 13 for Baylor, reaching double figures for the 20th time in his last 21 games. Rico Gathers had 12 points and 16 rebounds.
Paris Collins led Jackson State with 17 points. Janarius Middleton added 12.
The Bears committed 11 turnovers in the first half, primarily with careless passes, and began pulling away in the final 20 minutes.
During a span of 1:31, Gathers made a tip-in and then two free throws, King McClure added a 3-point basket and the Bears had a 13-point lead.
BIG CONTRIBUTION
Sophomore forward Terry Maston produced 11 points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes as a reserve for Baylor, the first double-double of his career. He came in and provided a spark after the Bears trailed 12-2.
TIP-INS
Jackson State: Guard Javeres Brent, a key for the Tigers earlier in the week, didn't take a shot during their long scoreless drought. Brent hit 8 of 11, including 6 of 8 3-pointers, during a win at Southern Mississippi on Tuesday. ... Guard Lindsey Hunter IV is the son of former NBA guard Lindsey Hunter, who also played at Jackson State. He didn't play.
Baylor: Gathers grabbed seven of Baylor's 19 offensive rebounds, and the Bears had a 21-2 edge in second-chance points. . Baylor improved to 48-0 against current members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, including 7-0 vs. Jackson State. ... The Bears have won 26 straight nonconference home games since losing to Northwestern on Dec. 4, 2012.
NEXT UP
Jackson State is at Arkansas State on Sunday afternoon.
Baylor hosts Savannah State on Monday night.
