(Photo/Gregg Ellman )
FORT WORTH, TX — TCU (9-3) snapped their five game win streak tonight after losing to No. 6 Kansas (9-2) 93-64.
TCU started the game shooting well from beyond the arc. They shot 50 percent from the three-point line the first five minutes of the half staying neck and neck with Kansas.
Kansas then went on a 7-0 run going up 17-8 on the Frogs with 14:15 left in the half. The Horned Frogs rallied back, cutting the lead down to four with the help of Chuck O’Bannon Jr. He had a career high 18 points on the night and six rebounds. Kansas led 28-24 with 10 minutes remaining in the first half.
With six minutes left in the half, TCU got cold. The guards could not get their shots to fall and they were getting outrebounded under the basket limiting TCU’s second chance opportunities.
TCU’s defense was strong for the first 10 minutes of play. In the ladder part of the first half it started to become lackadaisical. Kansas was able to feed the ball into the paint, backdoor cut, and shoot from beyond the arc. The Jayhawks led the entire first half.
TCU went into the locker room down 49-35.
The second half was all Kansas. TCU’s offense continued to struggle knocking down shots. They shot 42.9 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent from beyond the arc. Freshman guard Mike Miles has had a stellar start to his TCU career and had zero points in tonight’s contest.
Head Coach Jamie Dixon said, “Our spacing was not good. Mike couldn’t penetrate the basket due to the bad spacing.”
The Horned Frogs defense was non-existent in the second half. Kansas ran the floor and TCU was late to get back on defense.
Coach Dixon said, “They were quicker, stronger, and more physical than us in all 40 minutes of this game. We were a step behind on every play.”
TCU’s defense lacked energy the entire game. The Horned Frogs got outhussled under the glass, getting outrebounded 41-20. TCU’s star forward Kevin Samuel who usually has a double-double night did not come away with one rebound tonight.
The lack of energy on defense and the horrendous rebounding led TCU to their second conference loss of the season.
TCU will be back at Schollmaier Arena on Saturday at 2 p.m. to take on No. 2 Baylor.
TCU Leaders :
Chuck O’Bannon Jr. led TCU with 18 points and 6 rebounds.
RJ Nembhard had 14 points and 2 rebounds.
