Baylor routs Gonzaga to win NCAA men’s basketball title game
The Baylor Bears won their first men’s NCAA basketball title with a 86-70 win over the previously undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs in the championship game Monday night in Indianapolis.
Baylor’s win snaps Gonzaga’s 35-game win streak, which was the longest active streak in the nation and dated back to last season.
Baylor never trailed in this game — and this was a rout early.
Gonzaga trailed by as many as 19 in the first half and the Bears led by 10 at the half. The Bulldogs briefly got within single digits in the second half, but Baylor pulled away, extending the lead at one point up to 20.
Jared Butler led the Bears with 22 points while MaCio Teague added 19.
Jalen Suggs topped the scoring for the Bulldogs with 22 points. Drew Timme and Corey Kispert each had 12 points.
Baylor finished the season 28-2. Gonzaga was 31-1.
Gonzaga, led by coach Mark Few, was coming off a stunning last-second overtime win over UCLA. With a win over Baylor, they would have become the first team to finish a season undefeated since Indiana went 32-0 during the 1975-76 season.
Baylor was fresh off a dominating win over Houston in the Final Four.
Under coach Scott Drew, Baylor cruised through its tournament opponents, beating every team by at least nine points.
This matchup had been two years in the making, at least. Gonzaga and Baylor were among the favorites to win last year’s tournament, which was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Baylor, which has never won a national championship, was playing in the title game for the first time since 1948. Gonzaga appeared in the championship game for the second time in program history, having lost to the University of North Carolina in the title contest in 2017.
The title game was played in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium before a limited crowd as the NCAA finished its men’s tournament played entirely in the state of Indiana.
The championship was the fourth basketball title for Baylor. The women’s team has won three championships, including one in 2019.
