NCAA Basketball: Best games from 2019-20 season – Baylor vs. Washington

An early-season showdown between Washington and Baylor turned into one of the most fascinating and stunning games; let’s remember what went down.

Even in a shortened college basketball season, there were still some incredible teams that made their impact throughout the year. While these teams didn’t get a chance to prove themselves in the postseason, they still had plenty of chances to stand out. Our look at the 40 best games of the 2019-20 season continues as we remember an early-season matchup involving one of those teams that would really stand out this season.

33. Washington 67, #16 Baylor 64 (Armed Forces Classic)

November 8, 2019, Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, AK

The nonconference tournaments at the beginning of the college basketball season represent some of the most exciting early-season basketball. However, there are also other intriguing neutral site games that demand attention. The Armed Forces Classic took place up north in Alaska, pitting Baylor and Washington against each other in an early test for both programs.

Washington was coming off a fantastic season in which they had won the Pac-12 regular-season title by three games, though had lost considerable talent from that team. The addition of highly-rated recruits Jaden McDaniels and Isaiah Stewart certainly helped garner excitement for the Huskies, but this was still a program we knew little about. They began the season unranked, ready to prove that they belonged.

On the other side, Baylor had put together a solid opening win against Central Arkansas three days earlier. They had played solid basketball the previous season, though expectations were raised as they began the season the #16 team in the nation. There was a talent across the roster, from MaCio Teague to Jared Butler, but this was the first test for the Bears to prove themselves.

Baylor was up to that challenge early, knocking down four 3-pointers and taking the lead early. A six-point spurt from Mark Vital built the lead as high as 8, but Washington’s offense wasn’t relented. The two teams traded baskets throughout the middle of the first half. Even as Baylor’s lead hit double digits, the Huskies were still hanging in the game.

A sloppy couple minutes of basketball to end the first half gave Baylor a 7-point lead over the Huskies. Another 3-pointer from Butler helped them build back their double-digit lead but Washington got some great play from their freshmen. McDaniels and Stewart combined for the next 7 points, bringing the Huskies back to within a single possession. A few Butler shots later and the Bears were building their lead back up again.

A 3-pointer from Devonte Bandoo gave Baylor an 11-point lead with just over 12 minutes left in the game, seemingly in a position to start pulling away. A few minutes later, the Huskies had yet to pull any closer, and another Bandoo 3-pointer grew Baylor’s lead to 13, a high point in the game. In fact, the lead was still 13 with just over eight minutes left, with this game seemingly heading towards that kind of margin.

But Washington’s offense would find their footing and their defense went to work. The Huskies forced three straight Baylor turnovers during a key defensive stretch, but their defense was only just getting started. Teague’s layup with just over five minutes left gave Baylor a 10-point lead, but it was quickly slashed by a 3-pointer from Hameir Wright.

The Huskies forced awkward shots and got the defensive boards they needed to stay in the game. They hit their free throws and got a clutch 3-pointer from Nahziah Carter to tie the game with just over 90 seconds remaining. Baylor had no response on offense, and Stewart hit the shot with 30 seconds left to give the Huskies the win. In the final seconds, Baylor couldn’t hit the 3-pointer to tie the game, sending them to a disappointing loss.

The highly touted freshmen had starred in their first games, but Carter’s 23 points led the way for the Huskies. Their defense locked down when it mattered most and the team had 11 total blocks in the game. McDaniels (18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks) and Stewart (15 points, 7 rebounds) both got their collegiate careers off to fantastic starts.

That bucket from Teague with five and a half minutes remaining was the final made shot for a shocked Baylor squad. Their offense completely fell apart in the final minutes, as Washington stole a sure victory right from under their noses. Butler had 18 points for the Bears, but the team had 16 turnovers and nearly everyone else struggled from the field.

In a bizarre twist of fate, these two teams would spiral in opposite directions as the season progressed. The Huskies would join the top 25 the following week, playing tough in nonconference losses to Tennessee and Gonzaga in the coming weeks. However, they mightily struggled in Pac-12 play, slipping all the way to a last-place finish in the conference. They even lost their opening-round game in the Pac-12 Tournament, which was played before the national pandemic caused the season to halt.

For Baylor, this blemish was quickly put in the rearview mirror, as the Bears would win their next 23 games, including wins over six ranked teams including Kansas and Villanova. Baylor finished the regular season at 26-4 and were certainly favorites to land as a top seed had the NCAA Tournament taken place. They may have blown their win against the Huskies, but they certainly learned from that outing and became one of the nation’s best teams this past season.