Lecomte leads Baylor past Wagner in NIT's 1st round
WACO, Texas -- Manu Lecomte had no problems with the NIT's experimental 3-point line, hitting 5 of 8 from distance and scoring 24 points to help Baylor beat Wagner 80-59 in the first round on Tuesday night.
Baylor, a top-seed, made seven of its first 11 shots and held eight-seed Wagner to 3-of-23 shooting in the first quarter to take a 21-9 lead. After Wagner went on an 11-2 second-quarter run to pull to 29-22, Lecomte capped an 11-3 run with his fourth 3-pointer of the half to make it 40-25.
It was Lecomte's 10th 20-plus game of the season.
Nuni Omot's dunk off an alley-oop pass from Lecomte near midcourt came during a 14-2 run to open the fourth quarter for a 65-45 lead.
Terry Maston had 13 points and eight rebounds for Baylor (19-14), which plays the winner of Wednesday's Nebraska-Mississippi State in the second round. Omot added 11 points and King McClure scored 10 with three of the Bears' 10 3-pointers.
Blake Francis made four 3-pointers and scored 23 points for Wagner (23-10). Romone Saunders had nine points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Francis scored 20 of the Seahawks' first 32 points but Wagner trailed by 13.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Larry Spaulding
- Danny Chance
- Steve Orkus
2023-24 Northeast Conference Standings
Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
---|---|---|---|
Central Connecticut | 13-3 | - | 20-11 |
Merrimack | 13-3 | - | 21-12 |
Sacred Heart | 10-6 | 3 | 16-16 |
Fairleigh Dickinson | 9-7 | 4 | 15-17 |
Le Moyne | 9-7 | 4 | 15-17 |
Wagner | 7-9 | 6 | 17-16 |
Long Island University | 6-10 | 7 | 7-22 |
St. Francis (PA) | 3-13 | 10 | 8-22 |
Stonehill | 2-14 | 11 | 4-27 |
2023-24 Big 12 Conference Standings
Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
---|---|---|---|
Houston | 15-3 | - | 32-5 |
Iowa State | 13-5 | 2 | 29-8 |
Baylor | 11-7 | 4 | 24-11 |
Texas Tech | 11-7 | 4 | 23-11 |
BYU | 10-8 | 5 | 23-11 |
Kansas | 10-8 | 5 | 23-11 |
Texas | 9-9 | 6 | 21-13 |
TCU | 9-9 | 6 | 21-13 |
Oklahoma | 8-10 | 7 | 20-12 |
Kansas State | 8-10 | 7 | 19-15 |
Cincinnati | 7-11 | 8 | 22-15 |
UCF | 7-11 | 8 | 17-16 |
Oklahoma State | 4-14 | 11 | 12-20 |
West Virginia | 4-14 | 11 | 9-23 |