- Walter had an incredible performance in his college debut for the Bears
- The 19-year-old even channeled his inner Brunson as he blossomed on the pitch
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Ja’Kobe Walter etched his name into Baylor history Tuesday night — and he did it while channeling his inner Jalen Brunson.
Walter, 19, set a program record for a freshman with 28 points and helped No. 20 Baylor to an 88-82 come-from-behind victory over Auburn on Tuesday in Sioux Falls, SD, in the season opener for both teams.
And after making a three-pointer that night, the freshman sensation even managed to celebrate Brunson’s signature celebration by wrapping three fingers around his face, just like the New York Knicks point guard.
Walter scored the most points by a freshman in his Baylor debut, while also grabbing six rebounds and shooting 4-7 on threes.
It was an incredible first game for the Bears guard, with fans on social media already excited to see what the future holds for him.
Ja’Kobe Walter set up Jalen Brunson’s three-point celebration in his debut for Baylor
Walter, 19, set a program record for a freshman with 28 points and helped No. 20 Baylor to an 88-82 come-from-behind victory over Auburn
RayJ Dennis also added 15 points, Jalen Bridges had 13 and Yves Missi, another freshman, scored 10 points in the win.
The Tigers led by nine points at halftime, but were unable to create any real separation in the second half.
Baylor eventually tied the game at 77 on a 3-pointer by Dennis with 3:02 to play. Missi gave the Bears the lead with a dunk on the ensuing possession, going high to block a Denver Jones layup to allow them to stay ahead.
Missi added a pair of free throws with 2:10 remaining and Dennis made a jumper 44 seconds later to extend the Bears’ lead to six points.
Aden Holloway led the Tigers with 19 points off the bench, while Johni Broome scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Jones had 13 points.
Holloway’s 3-pointer at 15:18 of the first half put the Tigers ahead 9-7, but Baylor bounced back with a 10-2 run, capped by Miro Little’s layup with 12:21 to play in the first half.
Auburn rallied for a 22-21 tie on a Broome free throw with 8:56 remaining. The Bears’ Josh Ojianwuna pushed the lead to three points on a putback layup on the ensuing possession, but Auburn rattled off five straight points to jump back into the lead.
scored the most points by a freshman in his Baylor debut, while also grabbing six rebounds and shooting 4-7 on threes
The Tigers’ surge continued through the remainder of the half, when a 3-pointer by Jones with 23 seconds left gave Auburn a 43-34 lead at halftime.
Walter led all scorers with 13 points before halftime. Jones outscored the Tigers by eight points.
Walter kicked his game into gear in the opening minutes of the second half, scoring the Bears’ first eight points before Dennis’ layup at 5:50 put Baylor up 45-44.