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Baylor edges Kansas State to remain perfect

Jan 11, 2012 - 5:53 AM Manhattan, KS (Sports Network) - Consecutive steals and layups by Quincy Acy gave Baylor a late lead, and the fourth-ranked Bears hung on to defeat No. 18 Kansas State, 75-73, to stay undefeated.

Kansas State, trying to knock off an undefeated team for the second time in four days, trailed 74-71 following an Acy-led 7-0 run in the closing minutes.

Rodney McGruder scored his 30th point on a layup to pull the Wildcats within one with two minutes left, but the hosts turned it over on their next two possessions.

Baylor's Perry Jones III tacked on a free throw with 20.9 seconds left after pulling down a big offensive rebound. Jones missed his second attempt from the stripe, but Baylor (16-0, 3-0 Big 12) locked down on defense the end the Wildcats' 14-game winning streak at Bramlage Coliseum.

Angel Rodriguez appeared to have a clean path to the basket following Jones' missed free throw, but Baylor's A.J. Walton knocked the ball out of bounds with 3.5 seconds left.

Acy got a hand on the ensuing inbounds pass from underneath Kansas State's basket, sending it past midcourt to run out the remaining time.

"I think for everybody that watches games saw two teams that laid it out on the line and gave everything for their institution and schools. I was very proud of our guys and that we came out on top," Baylor head coach Scott Drew said.

Jones finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Acy and Brady Heslip each scored 13 points to help the Bears continue the best start in program history.

The Wildcats (12-3, 1-2), who handed Missouri its first loss on Saturday, were done in by 20 turnovers.

"The guys wearing our uniforms threw the ball to the guys wearing their uniform so they could go down and dunk," a frustrated Frank Martin said of his Wildcats. "I am just disappointed."

Kansas State actually started out strong and led 15-7 after holding Baylor scoreless for five minutes early on.

The margin grew to 10 before the Bears score nine straight points to commence the back-and-forth affair.

McGruder rattled in a mid-range jumper just before the halftime buzzer for a 33-31 advantage, and Kansas State scored seven of the first nine points out of the break.

Turnovers helped Baylor retake the lead behind a 10-0 run, which was capped by a Walton steal and lay-in for a 50-46 edge with 13 minutes remaining.

Kansas State responded with an 11-2 run a little later, jumping in front 63-62 on a Will Spradling three-pointer.

It stayed close the rest of the way.

Game Notes

Baylor has opened Big 12 play with three straight wins for just the third time in program history...Kansas State was trying to upend top-10 teams in consecutive games for the first time ever...Kansas State's Jamar Samuels scored seven points on 2-of-8 shooting...McGruder's point total was a career- high.