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VJ Edgecombe scored 19 points to lead No. 25 Baylor to a Big 12 season-opening 81-56 rout of conference newcomer Utah on Tuesday in Waco, Texas.

Norchad Omier contributed 15 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and two steals, while Jeremy Roach and Robert Wright III each scored 15 for the Bears (9-3, 1-0).

Baylor held the Utes (8-4, 0-1) to 31.8 percent shooting overall and to only 17 points in the first half while seizing control for good. The Bears led by as many as 31 despite only shooting 40.6 percent from the field.

Hunter Erickson led Utah with 13 points off the bench. Mason Madsen was the only other Ute in double figures with 10. The rest of the starters combined for just nine points on 3-of-25 shooting from the floor.

Gabe Madsen, who led the Utes in scoring during nonconference action with an average of 18.8 points per game, scored his only points on a 3-pointer early in the second half. He finished shooting 1-for-7 from the floor.

Jayden Nunn got things going for Baylor, which improved to 7-0 at home, with an early 3-pointer. That sparked a game-opening 11-0 run for the Bears, who held the Utes scoreless for the first 5 1/2 minutes.

Former Baylor player Caleb Lohner finally put the Utes on the scoreboard with a layup at the 14:33 mark.

Neither team scored for nearly two minutes after that, and Utah narrowed the gap to three midway through the first half with a 12-4 run.

Baylor responded with its own 7-0 run and seized a 20-point lead by halftime after Roach hit a pair of 3s in the final 1:38.

The Bears carried the momentum into the second half, scoring the first seven points to establish a 44-17 lead.

–Field Level Media