Baylor vs. Gonzaga: Score, Celebration Highlights from 2021 NCAA Championship
Well, that was a bit anticlimactic.
The three games in the NCAA women's Final Four were decided by 12 combined points, while Jalen Suggs hit a buzzer-beater to push Gonzaga past UCLA in the men's semifinals. Monday night had little in the way of drama.
Baylor took control early and continued to dominate in the men's national championship, rolling past the Zags 86-70.
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Jared Butler (22 points), MaCio Teague (19 points) and Davion Mitchell (15 points) all scored in double figures, while Mark Vital's 11 rebounds helped the Bears claim a 38-22 edge on the boards.
Butler was honored as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
The NCAA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols meant Baylor couldn't celebrate in the manner champions usually do. But that did little to dampen the Bears' enthusiasm as they basked in the program's first title.
The family of head coach Scott Drew was emotional while watching from the stands at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Baylor won 21 games in Drew's first three seasons as it dealt with the fallout from the scandal surrounding his predecessor, Dave Bliss.
Drew steadily built the Bears up, getting them to the Elite Eight in 2010 and 2012. Monday represents his crowning achievement, and it probably won't be the last time the team is in the Final Four.
