Flagler rallies Baylor by TCU

TCU fans serenaded Adam Flagler with chants of “air ball!, air ball!” every time he touched the basketball after an early miss. Baylor’s veteran guard put an end to that after halftime.

Flagler finished with a season-high 28 points, including 16 in a row for the 14th-ranked Bears during the stretch when they overcame a 10-point deficit in the second half to beat No. 17 TCU 72-68 on Saturday.

“We felt at the end of the day it was time to buckle down and as a team we wanted to be connected,” Flagler said. “A lot wasn’t going our way.”

Even without leading scorer Mike Miles Jr. for the fourth game in a row, and also without injured big man Eddie Lampkin Jr., TCU had a chance to tie or take the lead in the final seconds.

Flagler had a turnover with 8.1 seconds left, when smothered by Damion Baugh and Shahada Wells in front of the Horned Frogs bench. Officials initially gave the ball to Baylor, but reversed that call after an extended replay review and discussion.

Baugh, who finished with 16 points and 10 assists, then missed a jumper with three seconds left. Flagler hit two free throws after being fouled while rebounding the missed shot.

LJ Cryer had 23 points for the Bears (19-6, 8-4 Big 12), who on Jan. 4 at home against TCU blew a 17-point lead in an 88-87 loss. They have won nine of their last 10 games.

“That’s Big 12 basketball,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “We all know the importance of good guard play and LJ and Adam really came through.”

Jakobe Coles had 15 points and Emanuel Miller 10 for the Frogs (17-8, 6-6) Frogs, who have lost four of five.

“We should have gotten it done tonight without two starters, but we didn’t,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said.

Flagler’s three free throws with 2:42 left, after being fouled trying another 3-pointer, put Baylor ahead to stay at 64-62. He then had a layup that ended his personal scoring streak.

Cryer made two free throws with 19 seconds left after being fouled under the TCU basket when Chuck O’bannon reached around him.

The Bears used a 9-0 run to get within 56-55 with 5:14 left, on a Flagler 3-pointer. TCU pushed the ball quickly up court for a layup by Coles before backto-back 3s by Flagler.

TCU regained the lead at 62-61 on a slam by Coles with 2:58 left, before Flagler’s three free throws.

Baylor: Another tough road win for the Bears, who are 26-9 against Top 25 teams the past four seasons — 16 of those wins coming on the road. They are 25-7 in Big 12 road games over the same span.

“I feel like Coach Drew coaches for moments like this, to go on the road when everybody’s against but we know who we’re playing for at the end of the day,” Flagler said. “It just prepares us for the long haul, what we want to do when March Madness comes.”

TCU: Miles, who averages 18.1 points a game, could be close to returning for the first time since a hyperextension of his right knee in the opening minutes at Mississippi State two weeks ago. Lampkin has missed four of the last six games while dealing with a left high ankle sprain.

Poll implications

Scottie Scheffler held onto the lead Saturday at the WM Phoenix Open in a bid to successfully defend his title and regain the No. 1 spot in the world.

The second-ranked Scheffler shot a 3-under 68 in front of some 200,000 fans — including WNBA star Brittney Griner — at TPC Scottsdale to get to 13 under, two strokes ahead of third-ranked Jon Rahm and Nick Taylor.

“Something I talked about at the beginning of the week was I felt like I’ve been on the outside looking in on Sundays,” Scheffler said. “To be in the final group with a two-shot lead, I believe, is definitely a position I want to be in. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Rahm also had a 68, holing a curling 40-footer for birdie on the stadium 16th for his third birdie in four holes.

“A couple of swings that weren’t that bad put me in some bad situations,” Rahm said. “I was able to scramble really well.”

Griner watched the action on rowdy 16th. The Phoenix Mercury center is spending time at home to recover from her time in a Russian jail. She was traded in a dramatic prisoner swap in December. Taylor shot 67.

“It’s fun being in this environment,” Taylor said. “I think if you’re not having fun, you probably shouldn’t be doing what we’re doing. It’s a lot of fun.”

Scheffler would take the No. 1 spot from Rory Mcilroy — tied for 28th at 3 under after a 70 — with a victory, as long as Mcilroy finishes worse than solo third. Scheffler also could get to No. 1 by finishing solo second if Mcilroy is 36th or worse and Rahm doesn’t win.

Rahm, the former Arizona State star from Spain, would go to No. 1 with a victory if Mcilroy finishes worse than a three-way tie for second, or by finishing solo second if Mcilroy finishes worse than solo 47th and Scheffler doesn’t win.

Jordan Spieth and Adam Hadwin were 10 under.

Speith had the best score in the delayed second round, finishing off a 63 in the morning. He added a 69 in the third round, highlighted by a 77-yard bunker shot to 3 feet to set up a birdie on the par-4 17th.

“I could drop a bucket of balls and not hit another one inside of 10 feet,” Spieth said. “I feel like a strength of my game is those kind of in-between bunker shots that are normally some of the most challenging shots in golf. For whatever reason I just feel comfortable in the uncomfortable in those kind of situations.”

Hadwin had a 71, playing in the final group with Scheffler and Rahm. He hit to 1 1/2 feet for birdie on the 16th, the closest of the round on the par-3 hole on the final tee shot of the day.

In the morning, Hadwin — on the 11th green Friday when second-round play was suspended because of darkness — finished off his second straight 66 for a share of the lead with Scheffler at 10 under.

Last year, Scheffler beat Patrick Cantlay in a playoff for his first PGA Tour title. Scheffler added victories in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Wgc-match Play and Masters and was the PGA Tour’s player of the year.

The 26-year-old Texan followed a bogey on the par-5 13th — his first bogey since his fourth hole Thursday — with a birdie on the par-4 14th, hitting a 5-iron shot 210 yards to 4 feet. He also birdied the 17h.

“Feel good,” Scheffler said. “I didn’t hit it as well today as I hoped to. But still got around in 3 under. Kept the ball in play for the most part. Just kept plugging along. Only one bogey was good today.”

He went to the driving range after the round.

“I just wanted to hit a couple drivers, a couple irons,” Scheffler said. “Nothing specific. I hit about five balls and five putts and came back here.”

Rickie Fowler, the 2019 winner, had a 67 to join Tyrrell Hatton (67), Sungjae Im (67), Jason Day (68) and Xander Schauffele (70) at 9 under. Schauffele bogeyed Nos. 15 and 16.

“Just managing our way around,” Fowler said. “Obviously, I know I can play well at this place. Love the atmosphere. Love the fans. So, trying to draw from them as much as I can.”