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For Immediate Release: Saturday, January 4, 2003 BRONCS FALL AT BAYLOR WACO, TX-Baylor used a 24-10 run at the end of the first half to build a 15-point halftime lead and went on to defeat The University of Texas-Pan American men's basketball team, 78-50, at the Ferrell Center Saturday afternoon. The Broncs got three layups from junior forward Allen Holcomb (Chicago, IL/Steinmetz HS/ Allen County CC) and led, 12-11, midway through the first half. However, Baylor center R.T. Guinn made a layup and a three-pointer as the Bears scored six consecutive points and took a lead that they would never relinquish. Texas-Pan American then used a three-pointer by senior guard Kevin Mitchell (Copperas Cove, TX/Copperas Cove HS/McLennan CC) and a jump shot by senior forward Tomas Sitnikovas (Panevezys, Lithuania/Panevezys HS#5/ Mid-Plains CC) to close to within nine points at 28-19, but BU scored nine of the final 11 points of the half to take a 37-22 lead at the intermission. Baylor steadily increased their lead at the beginning of the second half, and led by 32 points, 70-48, with 7:47 remaining. Holcomb and Mitchell led UTPA with 12 points each. Sitnikovas added seven points, while sophomore guard Eric Montalvo (La Joya, TX/La Joya HS) had six. Senior guard James Davis (Oklahoma City, OK/Casady HS/Westark CC) grabbed five rebounds as the Broncs were outrebounded, 44-30. Lawrence Roberts led the Bears with 22 points and 12 rebounds. John Lucas had 14 points for BU, Guinn had 13, and Kenny Taylor added 11. Baylor made 48.3 per cent of their shots from the field, while limiting the Broncs to 35.7 per cent. Mitchell had four of UT Pan American's baskets from three-point range, with sophomore guard Matt Hall (Katy, TX/Katy HS) adding the other. Taylor made three of five shots from beyond the arc as BU was seven of 18 from three-point range. "They hit some threes, and got some separation, and we couldn't recover," said UTPA Head Coach Bob Hoffman. "They're good shooters, and we did a good job guarding them, and we actually held them to a lower field goal percentage than they've been shooting. We didn't make the shots we needed to in order to stay in the game, although we did play with emotion and enthusiasm, and the scoreboard doesn't reflect the effort we put in. Allen made some baskets, and we did a great job passing him the ball, and Matt Hall and (freshman forward) Derrick East (Binger, OK/Lookeba-Sickles HS) had some good minutes. We had a chance to get some separation early, but we weren't able to, and then they got some separation, and that's when your shots become easier, and theirs become harder." The loss was the Broncs' fifth in succession, and their record dropped to 4-12 as a result. Baylor improved to 8-2 with the victory, and BU Head Coach Dave Bliss improved to 55-45 at the helm of the Bears. UTPA will return to action when they host Rice Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. MBB-31-03010403
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