Article:They dribbled until they couldn't dribble anymore; Baylor, TAMU play 5-overtime Big 12 game

The Big Twelve is known primarly as a football conference. Games last about 3 and a half hours long. Someone forgot to tell the Texas A&M Aggies and Baylor Bears that Wednesday night. They play not one, not two but five (yes, that's right, kids!) overtime periods before Baylor took the contest at College Station 116-110.

The Baylor at Texas A&M men's basketball game on January 23 was the first time in 196 meetings that both squads were nationally-ranked when the game was played. Numerous individual and team records were set in a contest that saw 17 ties and 20 lead changes at Reed Arena. The actual playing time of the game was more than 3½ hours. The series now stands with Texas A&M holding a 124-72 advantage.

Records  Numerous individual and team records were set in a contest that saw 17 ties and 20 lead changes. The time of the game was more than 3½ hours.

- Missouri 112, Iowa State 109 (4ot) - January 13, 2001 - Oklahoma State 105, Texas 103 (3ot) - January 16, 2007
 * Longest game in Big 12, Baylor and Texas A&M men's basketball history
 * Third game in league history to go three overtimes or more
 * Baylor (52) and Texas A&M (46) combined for 97 points in the overtime periods, setting a NCAA record.[Previous record: 94, Middle Tennessee (49) vs. Tennessee Tech (45) in a four-overtime game in 1999-2000.]
 * Baylor sets a Big 12 record for most points in a conference game [Old record: Kansas 114 vs. Colorado on Jan. 15, 1997]
 * Big 12 record for most combined points (226) in a league game. [Previous record 221 - MU 112, ISU 109 - Jan. 13, 2001]
 * Big 12 overall and conference game record for free throws attempted by Texas A&M (59)
 * Big 12 overall and conference game record for rebounds by Baylor (70)[Both teams topped the previous conference game record of 62 by Colorado against Texas Tech on Feb. 11, 1998. A&M grabbed 64 rebounds]
 * Big 12 overall and conference game record for field goals attempted by Baylor (97) [Both teams surpassed the previous record of 90 by Missouri against Iowa State on Jan. 13, 2001. A&M attempted 94 field goals]
 * Big 12 conference game record for free throws made was tied by Baylor (39). [Record: Kansas State made 39 vs. Baylor on Feb. 13, 1999]
 * Josh Carter and Donald Sloan of Texas A&M set a Big 12 overall and conference game record for minutes played (57). [Previous record: 56 minutes - Clarence Gilbert, MU vs. ISU, 1-13-01]
 * Curtis Jerrells of Baylor set a Big 12 overall and conference game record for free throws made (20). [Previous record: 18 - Four times]

Miscellaneous Notes


 * Five players in double figures for Texas A&M Four players in double figures for Baylor
 * Three Texas A&M players had 55+ minutes in the game One Baylor player registered 50+ minutes
 * Teams combined to shoot 106 free throws in the contest.
 * Five Baylor players fouled out Three Texas A&M players fouled out

Baylor Notebook


 * Earlier this year, Baylor stopped a 25-game overall road losing streak and a 25-game conference road losing streak. This season, the Bears are 7-1 away from home (4-0 road, 3-1 neutral)
 * Baylor's win snaps a streak of six straight losses to Texas A&M.
 * The Bears are 6-0 this season when trailing at halftime.
 * Baylor connected on its last 13 free throw attempts, including a perfect 11-for-11 in the fifth overtime.
 * The Bears made 24-of-28 (83.0%) free throws over the five overtimes.
 * Baylor's 16 wins this season eclipses its win total from 2006-07 (15-16 overall) and marks the most wins in the Scott Drew Era; also the most wins since winning 19 in 2000-01 (last postseason berth - NIT).
 * Baylor made more free throws (39) than field goals (35).
 * The Bears' last win over the Aggies was a 67-61 overtime victory in College Station during the 2003-04 season (Scott Drew's first at Baylor).
 * Baylor's win over No. 18 Texas A&M is the first over a ranked team this season and first since beating No. 13/14 Oklahoma State, 74-72, in 2002-03. The win snaps a string of 29 straight losses to ranked opponents.
 * Baylor has won four straight true road games, but lost 35 of 37 prior (dating to 2002-03).
 * Baylor is 2-0 in Big 12 road games this season (lost 25 straight before this season).
 * The Bears win consecutive road games for first time since 2002-03 (wins at Oklahoma State, at K-State).
 * Baylor's 16-2 start is its best since the Bears began 24-2 in 1945-46 (SWC champs).
 * The 4-0 league start is Baylor's best start in Big 12 play since opening 5-0 in 1997-98.
 * Trailing 22-8 with 10:35 remaining in the first half, Baylor put together a 12-0 run over 2:45 minutes to cut the score to 22-20 with 7:50 remaining.
 * Facing a 50-49 deficit, Baylor outscored Texas A&M 11-1 over the next 4:45 to build a 60-51 lead, its largest lead of the game.
 * Texas A&M made 36-of-59 free throws (61.0%). Baylor's Big 12 opponents are shooting a collective 60.9% (84-for-138) from the free throw stripe against the Bears this season.

Individual


 * With 19 points and 18 rebounds, Kevin Rogers tallied a double-double for the second straight game. He records consecutive double-doubles for the second time this season (all four on the road - at South Carolina, at Southern, at Nebraska, at Texas A&M). The 18 rebounds also represent a career high.
 * Curtis Jerrells scored a career-high 36 points, including 20-for-24 at the free throw line. He also recorded a career-high eight assists to only two turnovers in 53 minutes (4.0 assist-to-turnover ratio).
 * Aaron Bruce tallied a season high 20 points.
 * LaceDarius Dunn recorded a career high 10 rebounds.
 * Mamadou Diene recorded three blocked shots (has recorded 3 blocks in all four Big 12 games). He has 16 blocks over the last six games.

Texas A&M Notebook


 * The loss ended A&M's 15-game home winning streak, which was the 10th longest in the nation.
 * A&M had won 36 of its last 37 home games and 12 of its last 13 Big 12 home games.
 * A&M's 110 points were its most ever in a loss.
 * Bryan Davis scored a career-high 30 points with a career-best 14 rebounds, his first career double-double. It was a season-high for an A&M player in both categories.
 * Donald Sloan tied his career high with 18 points and set a career-best with seven rebounds. His seven assists were one shy of his career high.
 * Josh Carter scored 15 points and matched his career high with 10 rebounds, his second career double-double and first this year.
 * Joseph Jones scored 13 points with eight rebounds and made 9-of-11 free throws.
 * Dominique Kirk scored 13 points with four rebounds, five assists and three steals.
 * DeAndre Jordan scored eight points with eight rebounds and two blocks.
 * Curtis Jerrells made 20-of-24 free throws, the most by an opposing player against A&M since Baylor's David Wesley made 20-of-25 in 1992.
 * A&M's 64 rebounds were their most in a game since it had 66 against UNLV in 1978-79.
 * Baylor's 70 rebounds were the second-most ever by an A&M opponent (79 by TCU in 1966-67).
 * A&M's 36 free throws made were the third-most in school history and the most since it made 40 against Arkansas in 1957-58.
 * A&M's 59 free throw attempts were the second-most in school history (67 vs. Pepperdine in 1954-55).
 * Baylor's 39 free throws made were fourth-most ever by an A&M opponent since TCU made 40 in 1954-55.
 * Baylor's 38 fouls were the most ever by an A&M opponent.

Source: Big 12 Conference.

Keep in mind... Baylor was on the NCAA's chopping block a few years ago and they had some off the court problems as well. The Bears finished 15-16 and 4-12 in conference play and are contenders for an NCAA berth. Texas A&M went to the NCAA Tournament last year, beating Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Memphis. Could these two wind up in the bracket of 65? Only time will tell. I will say this. There was some yawning in class at College Station and Waco Thursday morning and I can imagine that both coaches told their guys to sleep in. Can't blame them. I just hope they served breakfast in the press room.