No. 19 TCU will get a chance to pick up the pieces following a frustrating defeat when it hosts No. 24 Iowa State on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Horned Frogs (13-4, 2-2 Big 12) were playing their best basketball of the season with victories last week over then-No. 9 Oklahoma and then-No. 2 Houston. And in the early going of a visit to Cincinnati on Tuesday, it looked like more of the same.
But despite leading by as many as 11 points in the first half, making 11 attempts from 3-point range in the game and outrebounding their opponent by six, TCU fell 81-77 in overtime to Cincinnati.
There were more head-scratching numbers to process. The Horned Frogs committed a season-high 19 turnovers, lost for the first time when leading at the half and made just one field goal over the final 5:21 of regulation when they took a 64-58 lead on a layup from Ernest Udeh Jr.
Udeh would miss a free throw with three seconds remaining, forcing the game into an extra period. He did have 11 points with a team-best nine rebounds and added a career-best five steals.
“We’re disappointed by the loss,” Horned Frogs head coach Jamie Dixon said. “We had our opportunities in the first half with a big lead, had another big lead in the second half. We didn’t get it done. Points in the paint were a problem.”
TCU scored 30 of their own points inside, but gave up 50 to Cincinnati.
Trevian Tennyson scored 17 points while going 5 of 8 from 3-point range and Emanuel Miller had 15 points, while TCU shot 41.7 percent from the floor and was just 6 of 12 from the free-throw line. Cincinnati shot 52.5 percent from the floor in the game.
The Horned Frogs’ Micah Peavy was elbowed near the eye in overtime but after a long delay to review the play, no foul was called.
“I’m sure people will be talking about the call, but they shot 52 percent,” Dixon said.
The Cyclones (13-4, 2-2) enter after an 87-72 defeat at BYU when they were thoroughly outplayed in the second half. The frustration set in as Hason Ward was ejected with about 10 minutes remaining when he jammed his shoulder into the neck of the Cougars’ Richie Saunders after a free-throw attempt.
Iowa State was within two points early in the second half, but was outscored 48-37 after the break. Keshon Gilbert scored 16 points and Milan Momcilovic added 11.
Leading scorer Tamin Lipsey (14.5 points per game) was held to nine on 4-of-12 shooting and has been listed as day-to-day with a sprained shoulder.
“As far as what that means for Saturday, we don’t know right now,” Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “We’ll continue to do what our medical staff (says) and what’s in his best interests for his health and well-being.”
Iowa State also earned a victory over Houston last week and followed that with a victory over Oklahoma State before falling to BYU in their first meeting as members of the Big 12.
It marked the most points the Cyclones have given up in three seasons under Otzelberger.
“We have a high standard for how we do things at all times (and) that didn’t show up for us (at BYU),” Otzelberger said on the Cyclone Radio Network.
–Field Level Media