WACO, Texas - Season openers can be
dicey affairs, unless the opponent is a certified cupcake. Baylor started the
2012-13 season Friday by playing Lehigh a foe that fulfills requirements for
healthy caloric intake. Last season, the Mountain Hawks stunned No. 2 seed Duke
in the NCAA Tournament.
The 18th-ranked Bears, faced
with replacing last season's super-sized front court, proved that they have
talented replacements and that they could handle the challenge of facing a
quality foe. Baylor got career highs in points (26) and rebounds (13) from Cory
Jefferson in a 99-77 victory Friday in the Ferrell Center.
Isaiah Austin, a 7-1 freshman, scored 22
points in 17 minutes. His final points came on a strong low post move but he
sprained his right ankle with 16:16 remaining in the second half, bringing the
crowd of 6,568 to silence. He didn't play again but he returned to the bench
late in the game.
"Our young guys came to play," said
Baylor senior point guard Pierre Jackson, who finished with 14 points and 12
assists. "I think we played great as a team. Our bigs were catching and
scoring. Cory looked amazing and Isaiah was great before he got hurt."
Jefferson, a 6-9 junior, spent two years
playing behind Quincy Acy and last season behind Acy, Perry Jones III and Quincy
Miller, was happy to get his opportunity.
"I've been waiting for a while and this
is definitely something good to start with," said Jefferson, who had nine
dunks. "I credit having a great point guard like Pierre and the other guys.
After every pass I told 'em 'thank you.'"
Lehigh was playing without 6-9 senior
forward Gabe Knutson. Senior guard C.J. McCollum hoisted 32 shots and scored 36
points in 38 minutes. The Mountain Hawks had no problem playing at the Bears'
frenetic pace that produced a game of spurts. Even for a season opener, Baylor
had more positive than negative runs.
McCollum started the game making two
technical foul shots - Baylor was penalized for dunking in pre-game warm ups.
The Bears quickly took control, erasing an early 7-4 deficit on a Jefferson
dunk and an Austin 3-pointer. The Mountain Hawks, with McCollum scoring 15 of
their last 26 points in the first half, trailed 51-41 at halftime.
Any question about Lehigh making Baylor
nervous was answered in the first four minutes of the second half. Jackson's
3-pointer at 15:49 made it 64-56. The Bears' largest lead was 77-54 with 11:03
remaining.
"When you play a quality opponent and
you've got so many young guys playing, you don't know what you're going to get
until the lights come on," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "We're really pleased
with how it turned out."