Box Score  
CONWAY, S.C. – A 49-point second half helped lift No. 24/23 Baylor past Villanova 87-78 in the title game of the Myrtle Beach Invitational here Sunday. The game was tied at 67 with just over six minutes to play before Baylor closed the game with a 20-11 burst that gave it the win.
 
Villanova dropped to 4-2 overall, 0-0 BIG EAST while the Bears improved to 5-1 overall, 0-0 Big 12.
 
Junior Collin Gillespie led Villanova with 27 points while sophomore forward Saddiq Bey finished with 16 points. Gillespie was named to the All-Tournament team along with freshman Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds in this one.
 
Tournament Most Outstanding Player Jared Butler led Baylor with 22 points. Baylor connected on 11-of-19 from beyond the 3-point arc.
 
"Credit goes to Baylor," stated Wildcats head coach Jay Wright. "They were really tough. Their guards were outstanding. It wasn't just the way they shot the ball. They made great decisions, they read our defenses, any adjustments we made. Defensively, they really guarded us. They got up into us, were physical with us. We couldn't run anything. Collin had to singlehandedly try to get us into offense.
 
"I don't think we were that bad. I think they were that good."
 
Baylor used a 7-0 surge to build a 12-4 lead through the game's first four minutes before Villanova responded with a 9-0 burst of its own. The Wildcats took a 13-12 lead into the first official timeout with 12:39 to play in the first half. Gillespie duplicated his fast start in the first two games here, providing 10 points to help Villanova take a 17-16 edge midway through the period.
 
An 8-0 advantage in points off turnovers – the Bears forced five in the first 14:03 of the action – helped Baylor claim a 26-24 lead in what was a high level, back and forth affair. Nine points from sophomore forward Cole Swider, including a left wing 3-pointer, gave the Wildcats a 27-25 lead.
 
By the time the first 20 minutes were in the books, there had been nine lead changes in a seesaw, high-energy affair. The last of those changes came on the half's final possession when the Wildcats scored to tie the game at 38 before Saddiq Bey forced a Bears' turnover that resulted in three free throw attempts for the sophomore. He drained all three and Villanova took a 41-38 lead into the break.
 
Gillespie's 16 first half points led the 'Cats. Bey added 10 points for Villanova. Matthew Mayer's 10 points paced Baylor in the period.
 
The intensity didn't wane after halftime. Baylor came back to grab the lead at 49-48 but another Villanova response – this one a 9-3 surge – gave the Wildcats a 57-51 margin eight minutes into the period. But the Bears used their prowess on the offensive glass to shave the gap to 57-55 with 11:14 on the clock.
 
The fourth foul whistled on the Wildcats' Jermaine Samuels further complicated matters for Nova. A MaCio Teague basket tied the game at 57. Brandon Slater's transition score nudged VU back in front 61-60 before the Bears got a deuce at the other end. Baylor led 62-61 with 7:53 remaining in the period.
 
Baylor's firepower was a challenge for the 'Cats to cope with. The Bears drained 5-of-8 from deep over the first 15 minutes of the second half and that helped them build a 74-69 lead. A dunk from Jeremiah Robinson-Earl cut the deficit to 74-71 with 3:27 to play.
 
But the Wildcats were never able to gain a defensive foothold as they scrambled in an effort to battle back. The final was 87-78.
 
"Baylor made more plays than we did down the stretch," stated Gillespie. "They hit some tough shots and did a good job of taking us out of what we wanted to do."
 
Despite the disappointment over this result, Wright thought the five-day journey here – which included wins over Middle Tennessee State and Mississippi State was very productive for his young unit.
 
"We got better here," Wright said. "We improved each game. I think Baylor is a really good team. We saw how much better we have to get to be at that level."
 
The Wildcats will next see game action on Sunday evening when former assistant coach Ashley Howard leads La Salle into Finneran Pavilion as Villanova begins a week of Philadelphia Big Five play. Game time Sunday is 6:30 p.m. (FS1 and 610 ESPN Radio). Fans interested in attending the Men's Basketball game vs La Salle please visit Vivid Seats, our Official Resale Marketplace. Tickets are available here!
 
The 2019-20 season – Villanova's 100^th college basketball campaign – is presented by Hartford Funds and Coca-Cola.