AUSTIN — Sheldon McClellan has been trying to tell you.
Most of you haven’t listened. Scott Drew sure did.
McClellan went for a game-high 23 points and the duo of Myck Kabongo and Ioannis Papapetrou combined for 37 points, as the Texas Longhorns beat Baylor 79-70 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, on ESPN’s Big Monday.
Texas ended a 17-game hoops losing streak (Men’s and Women’s) to Baylor in the process.
Texas led 36-34 at halftime behind McClellan’s eight points, while Kabongo notched 10 points, and four dimes. Papapetrou added seven points, and three boards, and finished with 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting.
But it was Kabongo directing the charge.
He finished close to a triple-double with 19 points, eight assists, and six boards. Texas is now 4-3 with Kabongo in the lineup.
But it was Cameron Ridley’s hustle play, and tipped ball to Papapetrou, who sank a huge three-pointer, giving the Horns the advantage late, 61-57, with 4;13 left in the Big-12 contest. It also started a stretch where Ridley scored six straight and flashed glimpses of being a big-time post one day.
Baylor’s Pierre Jackson had 13 first-half points to lead the Bears, and finished with a team-high 22. Isiah Austin added 15 points, and six rebounds.
Texas opened the second half on a 5-0 run, highlighted by a Papapetrou mid-range jumper, and led, 41-34 at 16:00 minute mark.
A Duece Bello layup in transition at the 5:22 mark gave Baylor their first lead since mid first half, 67-66.
There were 11 lead changes in the contest with their neighbors from Waco.
Texas went up 75-67 after free throws by Kabongo with :42 seconds left.
