Baylor dominates Gonzaga to win NCAA title

The Baylor Bears jumped out to a 9-0 lead against Gonzaga in Monday night’s NCAA men’s basketball championship and never relinquished the lead, winning the title game 86-70. Point guard Jared Butler made four three-pointers on his way to scoring 22 points to lead Baylor in scoring. He also had seven assists and was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player. MaCio Teague added 19 points for the Bears.

What about Gonzaga? Baylor’s victory ended Gonzaga’s hopes for an undefeated season. Freshman guard Jalen Suggs led Gonzaga with 22 points two nights after making a buzzer-beating long three-pointer to defeat UCLA in the semifinals, but Gonzaga couldn’t keep it close in the title game. “When you come against a team that’s just firing on all cylinders for 40 minutes, it’s kind of hard to compete with,” Gonzaga forward Corey Kispert said. Baylor’s win gave the school its first NCAA title in men’s basketball.

Dig deeper: Read Steve West’s report in Liberties about a lawsuit that threatens funding for Baylor and other schools that bar sexual activity outside marriage between one man and one woman.