WACO, Texas (AP) — Jaden Bradley scored 25 points, Brayden Burries had 24 and No. 2 Arizona outlasted Baylor 87-80 on Tuesday night, giving the Wildcats a two-game lead in the Big 12 standings with three to play in the regular season.
The Wildcats erased a 10-point deficit early in the second half, then had to withstand a back-and-forth finish. There was a 13 1/2-minute stretch in which the margin never was more than two points and the lead changed hands 13 times.
Tobe Awaka had 10 points and 13 rebounds for Arizona (26-2, 13-2), which has won its last three games since back-to-back losses that followed a 23-0 start to the season. Motiejus Krivas finished with 12 points.
Cameron Carr had 26 points for Baylor (14-14, 4-11). Isaac Williams scored 16 and freshman Tounde Yessoufou added 12.
The remaining four contenders for the Big 12 regular-season title all have 11-4 conference records: No. 4 Iowa State, No. 5 Houston, No. 14 Kansas and No. 16 Texas Tech.
Arizona finally took the lead for good on Bradley's long jumper from the right wing that made it 76-75 with 4:04 left. Burries added a short jumper a minute later.
Baylor led 44-34 when Yessoufou opened the second half with a 3-pointer on a kick-out pass from Williams.
The Wildcats responded with a 14-2 run and had their first lead since the game’s first four minutes. They went up 48-46 on two free throws by Krivas less than a minute after he made a tying jumper.
Both teams shot 49.2% from the field, with Arizona making 30 of 61 shots and Baylor hitting 29 of 59.
Up next
Arizona hosts Kansas on Saturday and Iowa State on Monday night.
Baylor plays Saturday at UCF.
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