Ernest Udeh Jr. turned in a 13-point, 18-rebound double-double as TCU defeated Texas A&M-Commerce 77-42 on Monday in Fort Worth, Texas.
Udeh Jr., a transfer from Kansas, bested his previous season highs in both categories, leading the Horned Frogs’ charge. He and Avery Anderson III each scored a team-high 13 points, and were joined by Micah Peavy (11), Trevian Tennyson (11), and Emanuel Miller (10) in double figures. Udeh Jr.’s 18 rebounds also marked a team high.
TCU (11-2) allowed its lowest point total of the season as Texas A&M-Commerce (6-7) shot just 32.2 percent. The Lions finished just 2 of 22 from 3-point range.
Peavy scored four of TCU’s first six points as the hosts opened on a 6-0 run. By the 15:06 mark of the first half, Udeh Jr. scored off a fastbreak, extending the lead to 13-2. By that point, TCU’s offensive rhythm overwhelmed the Lions’ defense, with the Horned Frogs widening the advantage to 37-17 on Jameer Nelson Jr.’s layup at the 4:38 mark.
TCU shot 63.6 percent in the first 20 minutes, despite going just 1 of 6 from beyond the arc.
Leading 47-20 at halftime, the Horned Frogs picked back up where they left off, scoring the first nine points of the second half. A three-point play from Xavier Cork on a fastbreak with 14:06 remaining gave TCU a 61-22 lead. Avery Anderson III extended the advantage to 42 points less than two minutes later on a three-point play of his own.
TCU led by as many as 45 points (73-28) after Tennyson’s 3-pointer with 5:41 left. The Lions countered with a 14-4 spurt late in the second half, but the Horned Frogs’ lead was secure.
TCU plays its Big 12 opener at No. 2 Kansas on Saturday, Texas A&M-Commerce also opens league play Saturday in the Southland Conference against visiting McNeese State.
–Field Level Media