No. 2 Baylor Locks Down Ayo Dosunmu, No. 5 Illinois in Win

The No. 2 team in the country picked up its first resume-boosting win Wednesday as the Baylor Bears defeated No. 5 Illinois, 82-69, during the Jimmy V Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The win sets up a No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle on Saturday as the Bears face top-ranked Gonzaga at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.

A 14-3 run over 2:30 midway through the second half proved to be the difference for Baylor as the Bears held on to a multiple-possession lead over the final six minutes.

That only became possible once Illini star Kofi Cockburn picked up his fourth foul with just under nine minutes to play, forcing head coach Brad Underwood to put his starting center on the bench against a Baylor team that boasts plenty of length. The Bears immediately went on a 9-0 run when Cockburn exited, knocking down six consecutive field goals to stretch the lead with time running out.

Underwood attempted to stem Baylor's offensive surge by putting Cockburn back on the floor with 6:35 to play, but the Illini were unable to cut back into the lead.

Notable Performers

Kofi Cockburn, C, Illinois Fighting Illini: 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block

Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois Fighting Illini: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists

Giorgi Bezhanishvili, F, Illinois Fighting Illini: 15 points, 4 rebounds

Adam Flagler, G, Baylor Bears: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

Jared Butler, G, Baylor Bears: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, F, Baylor Bears: 9 points, 9 rebounds

"We couldn't get the stop we needed," Underwood told reporters postgame. "... We would score and then they would come down and score. First half they didn't get any of those looks. Our young guys gotta understand, it's a fight."

It wasn't a much better night for Illinois' other key player, guard Ayo Dosunmu. Faced with weaving through Baylor's length, Dosunmu struggled to find his shot, going 6-of-18 from the field—including 1-of-6 in the first half.

Underwood said he doesn't expect his team to pull off many wins when its leading scorer slumps the way Dosunmu did Wednesday.

That doesn't make this a discouraging loss for Illinois so much as it shows Underwood more key areas to develop throughout the season. The Illini faced North Carolina A&T, Chicago State and Ohio in their first three games of the season and weren't exactly challenged in a way that forced the lineup to adapt.

Wednesday provided that opportunity with plenty more to come and soon.

Illinois will host UT-Martin on Saturday before traveling to North Carolina to face No. 6 Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge as it looks to prove its own Top 10 credentials.

For Baylor, the stakes are a bit higher.

In a championship-or-bust season, the Bears passed the first major test on their schedule. They'll have just two full days to prepare for their next one against an even tougher opponent in Gonzaga. Aside from early season tournaments like the Maui Invitational, top programs rarely get this type of opportunity before March Madness kicks off.

If there's anything head coach Scott Drew still doesn't know about his team yet, he'll likely find out Saturday.