The Ferrell Center experienced a heap of excitement Saturday night as the Baylor basketball team warranted the second ever sell out in stadium history. An hour before tipoff, fans and students alike were piling in to watch the Bears and the #7 Texas Tech Red Raiders warm up. Scott Drew and the Bears knew they were up to a tall task going up against Tech, and the fans responded accordingly.
I was blown away by the support that Baylor received. The Bear Pit packed in early and was getting loud before the game had even started. Earlier on social media, the Bear Pit issued a challenge on Twitter for students to bring their best signs, and a few students came prepared. There were signs claiming that they “Respectfully Disagree” with the referees, that “When grades go down, Guns go up”, and that “Clifford>Airbud” (... although this is totally incorrect. Airbud wins champions. How many rings does Clifford have?).
Red Raider fans were loud too, trying to do stadium yells during timeouts. I can't confirm what they were chanting, however, because the Baylor fans around chanted over them to drown out the unruly noise from the Sacred House of the Bear. Raider fans were also heard complaining in the bathrooms about Baylor’s dry campus policy, and it really made me appreciate Baylor's strong stance on alcohol.
The students in the pit were incredibly loud and constantly helped the Bears make plays down the stretch on defense. Students screamed, clapped, jumped, and banged on chairs to create a wave; noise for the Raider's offense became stagnant in the last few minutes of the game. In my opinion, this game was louder than the Kansas game the week before.
Most of the chants were in full effect, although the short-lived “Dilly Dilly” chant was retired (that’s how strict Baylor’s alcohol policy really is). A chant actually sparked a bit of controversy. When Justin Gray fouled out for Tech, Baylor students screamed out his footsteps, yelling “Left” and “Right” as he walked to the bench. As Justin Gray went to sit down, students pointed and yelled: “Sit down!” Normally, the commotion ends there, but one of Texas Tech’s bench players turned to the students and gave a response. He looked up and casually reminded students that “No means no.” My two cents on this: He shouldn’t have said it, but Baylor shouldn’t have done it. I'll leave it at that. Either way, this didn't stop Baylor fans from being rowdy all game.
Baylor barely beat Texas Tech in a tight game and improved their record to 17-10. With only four games left, the Bears are in a prime position to make a run at the NCAA tournament. There are only 2 home games left this season, so now is your final chance to witness this team. Still not convinced? Read this: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/baylor-basketball-worth-seeing.
The Bears are going to need a continuation of the energy from Saturday’s game when they take a ranked West Virginia team Tuesday at 6 p.m. Come early. Wear neon green. Bring funny signs. Sit in the pit. Be LOUD for your Baylor Bears!
