Texas falls to Baylor 78-64 after season-worst first half

Today just wasn't Texas' day. There's quite simply no other way to put it.

After three Texas turnovers on the first three possessions led to a quick 6-0 Baylor lead, the Bears put their foot on the Longhorns throats and never looked back, cruising to a 78-64 victory in Austin.

From the tip, Texas just seemed a step too slow, a bit too unenthused, and with the reality of shots not falling and an inability to penetrate Baylor's zone defense, it didn't take long for the Bears to turn a 10-2 lead into 16-8, and then 25-12 before heading into the half with a comfortable 40-22 cushion. The 22 points were Texas' lowest first half scoring effort of the season.

While it may not have been noticeable since the game had essentially been out of reach from the halfway point of the first half, the Longhorns actually outscored Baylor 42-38 in the second half, but today proved to be a first half hole dug too deep. To put the deficit Texas found itself in into perspective, the Longhorns didn't eclipse the 40-point mark - Baylor's halftime score - until there was only 8:12 remaining in the game. It's hard to win like that.

Texas flat-out didn't come to play. Timid on offense, hesitant with ball-movement, lazy on defense.

— Dustin McComas (@DMcComasOB) February 20, 2016

As a unit, the Horns' heaved 10 more shots than Baylor (52), but also connected on 10 fewer (22), for a collective 41.5 percent shooting effort. Even more disappointing was the success from deep (22.2%); a notable mark considering perimeter success is vital for beating Baylor. On an individual basis, Shaq Cleare was the lone bright spot, contributing a career-high 14 points on 6-9 attempts, along with five boards. Isaiah Taylor added 10 points, while Eric Davis Jr. added 11, but Davis' double-digit mark came on a 30 percent shooting performance (3-10).

The Bears, on the other hand, found success behind two key stats: Johnathan Motley racked up 24 points on a nearly perfect 12-13 field goal effort, and collectively, Baylor absolutely dominated Texas inside, scoring 50 points in the paint.

Although Texas continued fighting in the second half, their season-worst first half ultimately leads to a 17-10 (8-6) record.

Next up, Texas heads into a dangerous environment in Manhattan to attempt a season sweep over Kansas State before heading home to host Oklahoma.