By JIM VERTUNO
AP Sports Writer
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Sir’Jabari Rice scored 21 points and Timmy Allen added 19 to send No. 10 Texas to a 76-71 win over No. 11 Baylor on Monday night, ending the Bears’ six-game win streak and keeping the Longhorns in a share of first place in the Big 12.
Rice made four 3-pointers in the second half and his two free throws with 16 seconds left put Texas ahead by five with the final points.
Baylor had closed to 72-71 on Keyonte George’s three-point play before Texas answered with Marcus Carr’s fallaway jumper with 27 seconds left. It was Carr’s first basket of the second half and just his second of the game.
Rice, a 29% 3-point shooter in Big 12 play, was 4 of 5 shooting from long range. Allen was 7 of 10 from the floor and made two free throws in the final minute that put the Longhorns (18-4, 7-2) ahead by four.
Baylor had fought back from nine points down in the first half to tie it at 38 on the opening possession after halftime. Texas answered with a quick 8-0 run punctuated by a 3-pointer by Tyrese Hunter, a put-back dunk by Dillon Mitchell and Allen’s short jumper over two defenders.
Rice’s 3-pointers kept any chance of a Baylor rally in check and Texas never trailed in the second half.
LJ Cryer scored 19 points to lead four Baylor players in double figures.
Baylor (16-6, 5-4) trailed 70-68 with a chance to take the lead in the final two minutes, but Adam Flagler threw up a quick 3-pointer that missed before Allen made his two late free throws.
BIG PICTURE
Baylor: The Bears fell in love with the 3-pointer and couldn’t break out of it against a Texas defense that denied shot after shot near the basket. Baylor was 8 of 26 from long range and made just two in the second half.
Texas: The Longhorns were coming off a loss at No. 2 Tennessee when interim coach Rodney Terry complained the Longhorns let themselves get pushed around in a physical matchup. They had no such problems against the Bears, nearly matching the Bears in rebounding and points in the paint.
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