TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Henri Veesaar scored 19 points and Arizona stretched its winning streak to seven games with an 81-70 victory over No. 25 Baylor on Tuesday night.
The Wildcats (11-5, 5-0 Big 12) beat UCF 88-80 on Saturday, but coach Tommy Lloyd wasn't thrilled after they blew most of a 17-point lead.
Arizona responded with an early intensity the Bears (11-5, 3-2) couldn't match, building a 27-point lead early in the second half behind a stifling defense.
Baylor bounced back with a stellar second half, hitting eight straight shots to trim Arizona's lead to 71-62 with 2 1/2 minutes left before running out of steam.
Robert Wright III had 16 points and VJ Edgecome added 14 for the Bears, who shot 20 of 29 from the floor in the second half.
Arizona's Jaden Bradley had 13 points, six assists and five rebounds. The Wildcats shot 54% overall and 7 of 14 from 3-point range.
Takeaways
Baylor: The Bears moved back into the AP Top 25 this week despite blowing a 15-point lead in a 72-66 overtime win against Arizona State on Saturday, but will likely drop back out after their dismal first half versus Arizona.
Arizona: The Wildcats have found their groove after some early-season struggles, opening the new year with wins over then-No. 16 Cincinnati, then-No. 21 West Virginia and Baylor.
Key moment
Arizona jumped on Baylor from the opening tip, but broke open the game with a 15-2 run midway through the first half.
Key stat
Baylor's 19 first-half points were the fewest Arizona has allowed against a ranked opponent since holding Arizona State to 18 in 2009.
Up next
Baylor hosts TCU on Sunday. Arizona plays at Texas Tech on Saturday.
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