MATTHEW MAYER

Security failures allowed the shooter to massacre 19 students and two teachers, school safety experts say. The case underscores that even the strongest security plans can be undermined by a seemingly simple lapse, said Curtis Lavarello, executive director of the School Safety Advocacy Council, which provides training on school safety. In the aftermath of the shooting, some Republicans have been calling for further investments in school safety to prevent more attacks. A lock on the classroom door — one of the most basic and widely recommended school safety measures — kept victims in and police out. Some argue that investments in school security have come at the expense of student welfare.

NCAA Norfolk St Baylor Basketball Baylor guard Matthew Mayer, left, drives past Norfolk State forward Dana Tate (21) during the second half of a college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday, March 17, 2022. (AP Photo/LM Otero) (LM Otero)FORT WORTH, Texas — (AP) — Matthew Mayer scored a career-high 22 points that included a dunk and salute just before halftime, and defending national champion Baylor opened the NCAA Tournament with an 85-49 victory over Norfolk State on Thursday. Flo Thamba scored 14 points and Adam Flagler had 11 points for the Bears after some early foul trouble. Jenkins hit a 3-pointer to start the scoring in the second half, but Norfolk State never got closer. Baylor: Mayer has been inconsistent at times this season while starting every game after no starts his first three seasons.

Matthew Mayer scored a career-high 22 points and defending national champion Baylor opened the NCAA Tournament with an 85-49 victory over Norfolk State.

Christian Braun and Ochai Agbaji each scored 18 points and No. 10 Kansas bolted to a big lead and routed No. 8 Baylor 83-59 to hold the top spot in the Big 12 Conference race.

Baylor coach Scott Drew knew his sixth-ranked Bears might need time to blend a changed roster after losing four starters from a national-championship run.

Scott Drew uttered the far-fetched idea of Baylor being national champion when he was introduced as coach nearly 18 years ago.

Jared Butler scored 17 points to lead five Baylor players in double figures, and the Bears roared to a 78-59 victory over Houston in the Final Four.

Gonzaga has given fans the NCAA championship game they wanted with a shot for the ages.

3 Baylor, fresh off clinching its first Big 12 title on the road two days earlier, beat No. 17 Oklahoma State 81-70 on Thursday night to end the Cowboys' five-game winning streak. Freshman standout and Big 12 leading scorer Cade Cunningham had 24 points and Kalib Boone 10 for Oklahoma State (17-7, 10-7), whose winning streak was the longest active in the Big 12. That came right after Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe had a dunk for Oklahoma State, prompting a timeout by Baylor coach Scott Drew. ... Oklahoma State was without guard Isaac Likekele (hand) for the fifth time in six games.

6 West Virginia 94-89 Tuesday for the Bears' first Big 12 regular-season title. Ad“At the end of the day, they just did more of the little stuff at the end to win the game," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. But the Bears went scoreless for nearly six minutes before halftime, allowing West Virginia to keep it close the rest of the game. They shot 51% (36 of 70) from the floor against West Virginia. West Virginia hosts TCU on Thursday.

Baylor forward Flo Thamba (0) celebrates a score against Texas during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)AUSTIN, Texas – Texas played Baylor tougher than most teams have this season. 2 Baylor used a big run to pull away for an 83-69 victory over sixth-ranked Texas on Tuesday night. Texas (11-4, 5-3) was within six points late before Baylor pulled away behind open 3-pointers from Adam Flagler and Mitchell. Instead of rallying the Longhorns, Jared Butler made his free throws and another quick basket put Baylor up by 10.

(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)WACO, Texas – This Baylor win was for Davion Mitchell, and the junior guard did his part against his former team. Mitchell swished a 3-pointer after losing a shoe and finished with 13 points and seven assists, helping the Bears stay undefeated with an 84-72 win over Auburn in the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday. “And that’s OK, because Butler, and Teague and Davion Mitchell and Flagler are all really good,” Pearl said. "That conversation down the court, that was pretty cool.”AHEAD TO STAYButler made two free throws with 4:50 left in the first half for a 23-22 Baylor lead. Baylor: Baylor is 7-1 in Big 12/SEC Challenge games, the best record by any team in either league in the annual showdown.

Baylor guard Jared Butler (12) shoots a three-point basket past Kansas guard Marcus Garrett (0) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, in Waco, Texas. Butler had a season-high 30 points and eight assists as the Bears remained undefeated with a 77-69 victory Monday night over No. 9 Kansas, which has lost consecutive Big 12 games for the first time in nearly eight years. “To win the Big 12, we’re going to need all 15 guys, we need everybody, we need the staff. “They were real focused, like we’ve been for every game,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said.

3 Kansas returned the favor in a Big 12 showdown that lived up to the hype. The Jayhawks share the Big 12 lead again, and could return to the No. It was an exciting time and a huge win," Jayhawks guard Devon Dotson said. Their goal is to win a Big 12 championship.”Baylor (24-2, 13-1) has never won a Big 12 title. Baylor: The Bears' 23-game winning streak set a Big 12 record, one more than Kansas in 1996-97, the league's inaugural season.