No. 1 Baylor Holds Off No. 9 Wisconsin to Advance in 2021 NCAA Tournament

No. 1 Baylor clinched its spot in the Sweet 16 with a 76-63 win over No. 9 Wisconsin in the second round of the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament's South Region.

Davion Mitchell had 16 points and eight assists for the Bears, who played a swarming defense to reach a regional semifinal for the first time since 2017.

Baylor turned a 13-point halftime lead into a 18-point advantage shortly into the second half while appearing ready to pull away for a blowout win. Wisconsin refused to make it that easy, hitting tough shots to stay within striking distance down the stretch.

The Badgers cut the margin to single digits several times, but Baylor never provided an opening for a comeback. Matthew Mayer's 17 points off the bench became key for the Big 12 regular-season champs to close out the victory.

It's the fifth Sweet 16 appearance for Scott Drew in his 18 years with the program. The team also avoided being the second No. 1 seed to be eliminated in this tourney after Loyola Chicago defeated Illinois on Saturday.

Wisconsin has now gone four years without reaching the second weekend of the NCAA tournament, the school's longest stretch since 1999.

Notable Performances

Jared Butler, G, BAY: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists

Davion Mitchell, G, BAY: 16 points, 8 assists, 2 steals

Matthew Mayer, G, BAY: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals

D'Mitrik Trice, G, WIS: 12 points, 4 assists, 5/17 FG

Micah Potter, F, WIS: 10 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks

Brad Davison, G, WIS: 8 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds

Baylor Leans on Defense to Advance

Defense wins games in the NCAA tournament, and Baylor showed what it could do from the start. The intensity was apparent from the opening tip to make things extremely difficult for Wisconsin offensively:

Baylor ranked 36th in defensive efficiency entering the game, per KenPom.com, but the talent was there to be even better with Mitchell and Mark Vital. This game showed just how dominant the squad can be on that end of the court.

Their energy was also valuable offensively.

The quick transition play led to several easy baskets, plus an impressive buzzer-beater before halftime:

Elite athleticism helped Baylor send a message with some huge dunks:

When the game got closer in the second half, Baylor relied on its guard play as Mitchell and Jared Butler came up with big shots. Mitchell was key to the game with his effort on both ends, flawlessly running the offense while shutting opponents down defensively.

Matthew Mayer added 17 points off the bench to help the Bears pull away from a tough opponent.

Balanced Offense Not Enough for Wisconsin

The things Wisconsin usually does well did not work in this game.

Brad Davison was red-hot in Round 1, but the guard couldn't get this going against Baylor with just three points in the first half and eight all game.

The Badgers also struggled to hold onto the ball after limiting their turnovers had been a key to their offense all year long.

Wisconsin turned it over just 8.9 times per game entering the day but gave it up nine times in the first half alone and 14 times in the game.

The fight was still there in the second half with D'Mitrik Trice making clutch shots to keep the score close:

Even with few open looks, the team still shot a respectable 8-of-21 from three-point range. The Badgers shared the ball well and had four players in double figures and six with at least eight points.

That simply wasn't enough to keep up with Baylor as the Bears played to their ability from start to finish.

What's Next?

Baylor advances to the second weekend with a chance to make a deep run. The team will face the winner of No. 5 Villanova and No. 13 North Texas in the Sweet 16.