Baylor
Grambling
Men's Hoopsters Beat Grambling State, 91-82
12/19/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2000
WACO, Texas - The Baylor men's basketball team toughed out its sixth-straight win to open the season as the Bears beat Grambling State Tuesday night at the Ferrell Center, 91-82.
The Bears upped their record to 6-0, while Grambling State dropped to 0-6. Baylor remains one of only four schools in the nation that has yet to lose in basketball this season, men or women. Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee are the only other programs that can boast that feat.
The two teams hung close early in the first half. Wendell Greenleaf gave the Bears their first lead at 14-12, but the Tigers battled back to tie the game at 19-19. Baylor's Matt Sayman immediately followed with a 3-pointer to give the Bears a 22-19 margin, a lead the Bears would not relinquish. At the half, Baylor held a 43-37 advantage.
Early in the second half, Grambling State cut the Bears' lead to four at 48-44, but Baylor responded with a 10-point run to go up by 14. The Bears' biggest lead of the night came near the 2:30 mark in the second half, when Baylor led 83-68. The Tigers made a final push near the end of the game, but it was not enough as the Bears held on, 91-82.
"I'm grateful to have a chance to win a basketball game, even though we did not play as well as we've been playing," Baylor head coach Dave Bliss said. "We were more reliant on the 3-point shot tonight that I want us to be."
The 82 points was the most allowed by the Bears this season, easily besting the previous high of 57 scored by St. Edward's. Baylor entered the game with the best scoring defense in the nation, allowing just 50.0 points a game prior to Tuesday night.
"I made some play calls tonight to try some things, and the team got disjointed on defense," Bliss said. "We made some plays when we had to, though, especially in the first half."
Terry Black led the Bears as he notched his third double-double of the season, scoring 22 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Greenleaf scored a career-high 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-15 from beyond the arc. Big 12 Newcomer of the Week Chad Elsey added 15 points for the Bears. Paul Hayes led the Tigers with 19 points, while Randy Hymes led Grambling with 11 rebounds.
The Bears will put their perfect record on the line again Thursday as they host Liberty at 7 p.m. in the Ferrell Center.
