Mar 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Scott Drew reacts after a play during the first half against the Utah Utes at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Brett Decker Jr. and Kayden Mingo each tallied 17 points to lead Baylor to an 87‑65 victory over Northwestern State during Monday’s season‑opener in Waco, Texas.
Baylor built a 24‑point lead early and led by 18 at the break, but struggled with shooting in the first ten minutes of the second half. The Bears ultimately had enough depth to secure the win, keeping the Demons within 15 points for the remainder of the game.
Freshman Dylan Mingo contributed 14 points, and Elijah Williams added 11 for Baylor. The Bears dominated the boards with a 49‑35 edge in total rebounds and a 17‑9 advantage on offensive boards.
Kai Simpson led Northwestern State with 17 points, supported by Nathan Ojukwu’s 13 and Isaiah Vick’s 12.
Baylor jumped out to an early 14‑4 advantage, with Decker’s three‑pointer pushing the lead to 14 points at the 16:07 mark. The Bears extended the margin to 30‑9 after Dylan Mingo’s layup with 12:13 left in the half, before Northwestern State answered with an 8‑0 run highlighted by back‑to‑back threes from Doyle Brown, narrowing the gap to 13 points at 10:40.
Baylor responded with an 11‑0 run to push the lead to 41‑17; Isaac Celiscar capped the spurt with a jumper and a tip‑in layup at the 7:26 mark. Northwestern State finished the half strong, scoring six of the final eight points— all by Isaiah Vick— to close the interval at 50‑32.
Brett Decker led the Bears in the first half with 11 points, while Kayden Mingo added 10. Baylor shot a robust 60% compared to Northwestern State’s 37.9% in the opening 20 minutes. Kai Simpson’s nine points paced the Demons in the first half.
Isaac Williams’ jumper restored Baylor’s 21‑point advantage with 17:12 left. Northwestern State responded with an eight‑point run, capped by Isaiah Vick’s second‑chance jumper that narrowed the deficit to 63‑48 in the middle of the second half.
Baylor went over four minutes without a field goal, but Elijah Williams’ spectacular lob dunk, assisted by Kayden Mingo, revived the offense with 8:24 remaining.