Eighteen points apiece from JaKobe Coles and Emanuel Miller lifted TCU to its first win in program history over Cincinnati, 75-57, on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas.
TCU (19-8, 8-6 Big 12 Conference) shot 44.8 percent from the field and 9 of 22 from 3-point range, as Coles shot 6 of 10 and Miller finished 5-for-8 from the field. The Horned Frogs are now 12-2 at home and have won three of their previous four.
Cincinnati (16-11, 5-9) struggled defensively, which held the Bearcats back despite shooting 41.5 percent. They also turned the ball over 17 times in the loss, which led to 16 TCU points. Day Day Thomas was Cincinnati’s only double-digit scorer with 13 points.
TCU seized momentum early in the form of an 8-0 scoring run that was highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from Avery Anderson. The Bearcats lived up to their moniker, however, as the first half unfolded, clawing back into contention with a 10-4 spurt. Then, in a span of just over two minutes, Cincinnati cut the deficit to a single point on two occasions.
Cincinnati took its first lead with 7:49 left in the half, going up 21-20 on a 3-pointer from Simas Lukosius. The Bearcats shot 4-of-9 from beyond the arc in the first half and widened the lead to three points before TCU answered with a 7-0 run.
The advantage grew to as many as 10 points for the Horned Frogs, and TCU held a 39-32 lead at the half.
The hosts maintained their control into the second half, evidenced by a 10-0 run from TCU over a three-minute stretch midway through. The strong stretch from the Horned Frogs saw the lead expand to 60-44 by the 10:55 mark, and less than a minute later Trevian Tennyson connected on a 3-pointer for a 17-point advantage.
Cincinnati got as close as 12 points before TCU surged ahead, going up by 20 on a fast-break layup from Miller that made it 73-53. The Horned Frogs cruised to the victory from there, holding Cincinnati to just one field goal in the final 2:22.
–Field Level Media