The Bearkats switched defenses on Baylor to start the game and limited the Bears to just three points through the first five minutes of the game. Unfortunately for the Kats, the outside shots were not falling. SHSU hit just two of their 16 3-pointers in the first half, and were 6-of-31 for the game from outside.

"Our defensive game plan was good the entire ballgame. Our guys fought hard," SHSU head coach Bob Marlin said. "We did not shoot the ball very well today, especially from three‑point range, and we knew we were going to have to. I thought we battled them on the glass and did the things we needed to do, but we just didn't make enough shots to win the game."

Despite the shooting struggles, the Bearkats were able to take a 31-30 lead into the locker room at the half. The Kats were able to get inside the zone of Baylor and Gilberto Clavell was the biggest beneficiary of that. Clavell scored 17 of his game-high 23 points in the opening 20 minutes.

"The first half they had the middle open every time, so in the second half they all came," Clavell said. "Their guards just came faster to the middle. And their center was coming up more, so I wasn't that open, and they were coming fast every time. And it was kind of hard because I had to seal them first to get the ball. But it's our front. So they made the right adjustment."

The game remained back-and-forth throughout. There were 15 lead changes and the score was tied 15 times. With 3:48 left to play in the game, Ashton Mitchell cut to the basket and scored to tie the game at 55.

But LaceDarius Dunn, who had been quite most of the night took over for the Bears. Dunn, who is one of the leading scorers for the Bears, scored eight of the 13 points for Baylor in the final three minutes to secure the victory for the Bears.

Heading into the game, Marlin said he felt the team needed to hit their outside shots to have a chance to win the game. They missed 25 from deep, hitting just six. Senior guards Mitchell and Corey Allmond combined to hit just 3-of-18.

"We could never hit two threes in a row it seemed like to get that momentum going," Marlin said. "We had some go in and out the first half, and we've done that all year where it's contagious. We make several in a row and make a nice run."

The Kats had two other players in double figures to go along with Clavell's 23. Preston Brown scored 13 points and Allmond had 10. Mitchell scored just five points on 2-of-14 shooting.

"I was a little disappointed with the way things went down with Ashton not having a good shooting night," Marlin said. "I thought he played great defense and wanting to win and returning home. But it wasn't meant to be."

The Bearkats finished the season 25-8, setting a record for number of wins as a Division I program.