Baylor University has won its first-ever men’s basketball national championship, winning the first title for the state of Texas since Texas Western’s historic 1966 run, routing the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis 86-70.
Jared Butler led the Bears (28-2) with 22 points, with MaCio Teague adding 18, as the Big 12’s Bears completed a dominant tournament run that saw Baylor outscore its six opponents by an average of 15 points, including a 19-point win over Houston in Saturday’s semifinal round.
Guard Davion Mitchell, a breakout star in the 2021 tournament, scored 15 points for BU, while keeping Gonzaga star freshman guard Jalen Suggs to 22 points, most after the game that had already been decided.
The loss ends Gonzaga’s historic season at 32-1, leaving the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers as the last unbeaten national championship team.
