photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Baker senior forward Keynan Russell looks to pass in the Wildcats' game against Texas Wesleyan in the first round of the NAIA Tournament at the Collins Center on Friday, March 14, 2025.

Baldwin City — No. 3 Baker University won its first round of the NAIA Tournament against No. 14 Texas Wesleyan 72-58 behind a dominant second half in which the Wildcats outscored the Rams 41-28.

The Wildcats are in the middle of one of their best seasons in program history. The team won the Heart of America conference title for the first time since 1989 and set a program record for wins with 28 before the start of the NAIA Tournament. Their success earned the Wildcats the No. 3 seed and hosting duties for the first two rounds of the tournament.

Both teams started slowly on offense and missed the first seven shots of the game with a combined four turnovers across the first three minutes. The Wildcats began to settle in once Korey Jones hit a 3-pointer for the game’s first points.

“Offensively, we were a little tight and careless with the ball early, especially that first half,” Baker coach Sean Dooley said. “Credit to Texas Wesleyan — they’re a good defensive team. I think as the game went on we settled in a bit and wore them down with our pace and depth, which allowed us to gain that separation.”

The Rams quickly responded with a 9-0 run, including two 3s. Baker’s Ahmed Mahgoub hit the team’s second 3-pointer to stop the Rams’ run, and the Wildcats were able to catch up to the Rams not long after.

Mahgoub accounted for 10 of the Wildcats’ 31 first-half points. He went 3-for-4 from the field, including 2-for-3 with two free throws in the half. He finished the game with 17 points, which led Baker, on 6-for-7 shooting from the field and 3-for-4 from distance.

Three other Wildcats finished with double-digit points. Noah Rigatuso scored 14 points, Jones finished with 13 points by shooting 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and Kaimen Lennox scored 12.

The Rams held a slight lead over the Wildcats for most of the opening half, but the Wildcats made a late push to take a one-point lead into halftime. Nick Whittick scored the field goal in the paint to give the Wildcats a 31-30 lead. The Wildcats held the Rams to 0-for-3 in the final minute of the half.

Baker had a much more efficient first half, making 53% of its shots and 33% of its 3-pointers, while Texas Wesleyan only shot 37% from the field and 25% on 3-pointers. What kept the Rams in the game despite their shooting were turnovers. The Wildcats had nine compared to three for the Rams, and the Rams scored nine points off of those turnovers.

The Wildcats pulled away from the Rams in the second half as they continued to outshoot them while limiting their turnovers. The game was tied 41-41 with 14:20 left on the clock before the Wildcats went on a 22-8 run over the next 10 minutes. The Rams went 3-for-13 in that time, and the Wildcats built a 14-point lead.

“That’s who we are,” Dooley said. “That’s where we hang our hat on. Our objective is to make people uncomfortable, to make them play faster and do things they don’t want to do with our ball pressure.”

The Wildcats kept their foot on the gas for the final four minutes and maintained their double-digit lead. Mahgoub capped the game with a dunk with 32 seconds on the clock, and the home crowd erupted in cheers.

Last season, the Wildcats won their first-round game on the road before losing in the second round to Evangel. Dooley said the team is “excited for the opportunity to advance,” especially after losing in the second round a year ago.

Baker will play No. 6 Concordia at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, at the Collins Center for the second round of the NAIA Tournament. Concordia defeated No. 11 Bethel 79-76 in the first round before Baker’s game.

“We’ll get rested tonight and get ready to play a really good Concordia team tomorrow night,” Dooley said. “Concordia is an experienced team, much like us. It’ll be a tough one tomorrow, for sure.”

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Baker senior guard Noah Rigatuso holds off a double team against Texas Wesleyan in the first round of the NAIA Tournament at the Collins Center on Friday, March 14, 2025.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Baker senior Ahmed Mahgoub grabs the ball for a layup against Texas Wesleyan in the first round of the NAIA Tournament at the Collins Center on Friday, March 14, 2025.