No. 19 TCU looks to continue its climb up the rankings and its success in the national spotlight when it visits Cincinnati in a Big 12 showdown Tuesday night.
TCU’s latest impressive showing came on its home court Saturday night when Emanuel Miller scored with 6.7 seconds remaining to lift the Horned Frogs past then-No. 2 Houston, 68-67.
TCU (13-3, 2-1) overcame a 67-63 deficit with 1:27 remaining to move over .500 in Big 12 play.
The win, on the heels of a victory over then-No. 9 Oklahoma, was TCU’s second straight over a Top 10-ranked opponent.
Miller led the Frogs with 13 points and five assists. Trevian Tennyson added 12 points while Avery Anderson III chipped in with 11 points and a team-high six assists, including an assist on the game-winning basket.
“We really played smart down the stretch,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “We executed down the stretch with no timeouts. Great pass by Avery on the penetration.
“The guards just keep getting better and better, which is so fun to be a part of. They’re just such great kids and care so much. And in Avery and Jameer (Nelson Jr.), we’ve got two guys that are getting better each day. And so it’s fun to be around.”
TCU shot 55.2 percent in the second half and connected on all four tries from 3-point range. Overall, TCU was 8 of 15 from distance.
The Bearcats (12-4, 1-2) are coming off back-to-back heartbreaking losses in Big 12 play.
After dropping their conference home opener, 74-73, to Texas last Tuesday, the Bearcats rallied late but fell Saturday night at then-No. 14 Baylor, 62-59.
Dan Skillings Jr. started in place of the injured Aziz Bandaogo and finished with 24 points, his ninth game this season in double figures and the first loss for UC in those nine games.
Skillings had a breakaway dunk off a Simas Lukosius steal on the opposite baseline to cap a 7-0 spurt over 67 seconds, giving the Bearcats a 36-29 lead with just over 17 minutes left.
Trailing 38-31 with 16:29 remaining, Baylor scored the next 13 points to take a six-point lead with 10:13 left. Skillings scored 17 of his 24 in the second half and seven in the final 2:54 as the Bearcats’ rally fell short.
“I’m certainly disappointed in the result,” Cincinnati coach Wes Miller said. “We’ve lost two one-possession games in three or four days. It’s frustrating, and we feel we had chances to win both of them. We’re in the best league in college basketball.
“We don’t have the ability to let our heads down. We have an opportunity Tuesday night (against TCU). There are some positive things we can take, and our fight was excellent. There are some things we can do better … that we have to learn from and get better at.”
Day Day Thomas added 15 points for Cincinnati, which tied Baylor on the glass at 32 rebounds. The Bearcats have not been outrebounded in any game this season.
–Field Level Media