WACO, Texas (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dramatic momentum shift and a decisive closing run, the Baylor Bears overcame a sluggish first half to defeat the Arizona State Sun Devils 73-68 in a Big 12 conference men’s basketball game on Saturday.

A crowd of 7,044 at the Ferrell Center saw the Bears, who trailed by eight points at halftime, outscore the Sun Devils 41-28 in the second half to secure the victory. The win moved both teams to an identical 14-13 overall record.

The most critical phase of the contest unfolded in the game’s final minutes. With the score tied at 68 and under two minutes to play, Baylor’s defense stiffened and its offense executed under pressure. The sequence began when Arizona State’s Anthony Johnson, who led all scorers with 20 points, split a pair of free throws to tie the game with 1:53 remaining.

On the ensuing possession, Baylor guard Obi Agbim, who finished with 16 points, hit the biggest shot of the night—a 3-pointer from the wing off an assist from Isaac Williams to put the Bears ahead 71-68 with 1:18 on the clock. Arizona State’s Maurice Odum could only make one of two free throws on the other end, keeping Baylor’s lead at two.

After a missed Sun Devil opportunity, Agbim sealed the game with a driving layup with 26 seconds left, extending the lead to 73-69. Arizona State’s final attempts to close the gap were off the mark, and Baylor secured the defensive rebound to effectively end the game.

The outcome was a reversal of the first-half narrative. Arizona State controlled the opening period, leveraging its size inside. Senegalese center Massamba Diop was a force early, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds for a double-double, helping the Sun Devils build a 40-32 halftime advantage. The Sun Devils were more efficient before the break, shooting 50% from the floor while holding Baylor to 41.9% shooting.

Baylor’s second-half resurgence was fueled by improved shot-making and taking better care of the basketball. After shooting 6 of 21 from 3-point range in the first half, the Bears connected on 3 of 10 after halftime, with Agbim’s late triple being the most crucial. The Bears also trimmed their turnover count, committing only six in the second half after giving it away seven times in the first.

Offensively, Baylor was led by a balanced attack. Alongside Agbim’s 16, Tounde Yessoufou added 16 points and Cameron Carr chipped in 13 points and four assists. Isaac Williams facilitated the offense with five assists to go with 14 points.

For Arizona State, Johnson’s 20-point effort was supplemented by 12 points from Odum and 10 points each from Diop and Allen Mukeba off the bench. The Sun Devils’ offense, however, cooled considerably in the second half, shooting just 10 of 29 from the field and 2 of 11 from beyond the arc.

A key statistical disparity came at the free-throw line. While Arizona State made 12 of 16 attempts, Baylor struggled, converting only 6 of 13. The Bears compensated with superior field goal shooting overall, finishing at 56.9% compared to Arizona State’s 44.6%. Baylor also won the rebounding battle 34-30.

The game was a matchup of teams fighting for position in the conference standings. Baylor, which had lost three of its last four coming in, reversed its recent fortunes. Arizona State saw a two-game winning streak snapped but has now been competitive in four of its last five contests.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Baylor entered the game with a 70.9% probability to win and was a 5.5-point pregame favorite. The combined point total of 141 fell well under the over/under line of 156.5.

Baylor next hosts Arizona on Tuesday. Arizona State continues its road trip at Texas Christian on Tuesday.