Emanuel Miller scored 19 points and Mike Miles Jr. had 15, including a key 3-pointer in the final seconds, as No. 14 TCU staved off upset-minded Arkansas-Pine Bluff 73-72 on Monday in the season opener for both teams in Fort Worth, Texas.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff led by as many as 20 points in the first half, by 11 at halftime and 70-66 after a layup by Ismael Plet with 1:53 to play. But the Horned Frogs rallied with two free throws by Micah Peavy, a 3-pointer by Miles and another pair of free throws by Chuck O’Bannon Jr. to leapfrog to a 73-70 advantage.
Plet brought the Golden Lions to within a point on another layup with nine seconds remaining. After a missed free throw by O’Bannon and a rebound by Plet, Trejon Ware was off the mark on a contested, short baseline jumper at the buzzer that allowed TCU to hold on.
O’Bannon added 11 points and Peavy had 10 for the Horned Frogs.
Shaun Doss Jr. led all scorers with 25 points while Chris Greene added 13 and Kylen Milton had 10 assists for the Golden Lions.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff ruled the first 8 1/2 minutes, hitting six of its first 10 shots while building a 20-9 lead as Doss and Greene scored all of the Golden Lions’ points.
The Horned Frogs worked their way back into the game by attacking the basket and going to the free-throw line. TCU was 16 of 21 from the line in the first half and used a 7-2 run over the final two minutes of the half to pull to within 46-35 at the break.
Doss made all four of his 3-point shots and hit for 18 points in the half to lead Arkansas-Pine Bluff with Greene adding 13 points. Miles led the Horned Frogs with 11 points in the half.
The Horned Frogs pulled even at 50 on two free throws by Peavy with 13:47 to play and took the lead on their ensuing possession on a layup by Eddie Lampkin. Two more free throws by JaKobe Coles capped an 11-0 run by TCU and pushed its lead to 54-50.
–Field Level Media