Feb. 14, 2006
Box Score | Notes
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- LaMarcus Aldridge scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and No. 6 Texas coasted past Baylor 90-63 Tuesday night, continuing what has been an easy run through most of the Big 12 schedule.
P.J. Tucker scored 21 and Brad Buckman had 12 points and 11 boards for the Longhorns (22-3, 10-1 Big 12), who are off to their best start in conference play.
Aaron Bruce scored 15 to lead Baylor (2-9, 2-9), which has lost 17 in a row against Texas.
The Longhorns' have hardly been challenged at home in the Big 12 this season, winning six league games by an average of 25 points. Texas has a one-game lead over Kansas, with the Jayhawks coming to Austin on Feb. 25.
The last time Texas and Baylor met, Daniel Gibson scored a career-high 37 points in a 66-47 win, picking up the Longhorns with nine 3-pointers when they struggled to score inside.
He didn't need to do it again.
Tucker, Buckman and Aldridge scored almost at will near the basket as Texas built a 24-point lead by halftime. Tucker had 12 points by halftime after being held to just two points -- on his last shot in the final seconds -- in the first game against Baylor.
The Longhorns still hit from outside when they wanted. Gibson made his only 3-pointer of the half with the first shot of the game. Kenton Paulino hit two more and Buckman chipped in another as Texas raced to a 20-3 lead. The Longhorns tried only five 3-pointers in the half, hitting every one.
Tucker opened up the lane by drawing a third foul from Baylor's 7-foot freshman center Mamadou Diene, sending him to the bench. Buckman hit another 3-pointer and his dunk with 3:45 left in the half made it 35-17.
The Longhorns shot 53 percent in the first half and Buckman closed it with Texas' last two baskets, the second on a nifty pass underneath from A.J. Abrams in the final second.
Texas might have run into a problem when Buckman picked up his second and third fouls 30 seconds apart early in the second half and went to the bench.
But Aldridge quickly solved that by hitting a long turnaround jumper over Diene and Gibson hit another 3-pointer from the right corner. Diene, instrumental in containing Texas' big men in the previous meeting, fouled out with 13:30 to play.
Aldridge's soft alley-oop on a feed from Paulino made it 62-35 and Texas cruised the rest of the way.
