TCU Loses To Iowa State
FORT WORTH, Texas – A shorthanded TCU squad appeared to be well on its way to upsetting No. 17 Iowa State Saturday afternoon, but eventually ran out of time, falling 71-60 at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
In a game that could have gone either way down the stretch and featured seven ties and seven lead changes, the Horned Frogs, who were playing without the services of 6-foot-8 forward and second-leading scorer Amric Fields Saturday, were able to cut it to a two-point game at 59-57 off a layup by junior sensation Kyan Anderson at the 5:28 mark of the
second half. The Cyclones though closed the game on a 12-3 run to escape Fort Worth with a nail-biting victory despite the Frogs leading by three earlier in the half and holding ISU to a 1-for-11 showing from behind the arc.
On the day, Anderson scored a team-high 18 points on 7-of-16 from the field, while freshman Karviar Shepherd recorded his second career double-double with 14 points and 15 boards. The Dallas native, who fell a point and rebound shy of matching his previous career-highs Saturday, did record the most rebounds in his young career against a Big 12 opponent. Senior Jarvis Ray rounded out the Horned Frogs double-digit scorers, tallying 10 points.
Iowa State was carried by DeAndre Kane’s 20-point outing Saturday, while Georges Niang totaled 19 points on 8-of-19 from the field. Melvin Ejim, who came into the game averaging over 19 points a contest, was held in check for most of the day by a relentless TCU defense, wrapped-up play with 14 points.
With the loss, TCU moved to 9-17 overall and 0-14 in league play, while ISU improved to 21-5 overall and 9-5 in conference action.
Freshman Brandon Parrish tied the game at 32-32 on the opening possession of the second half, rattling home a jumper. A few plays later, Anderson knifed through the defense and rolled in a layup to make the scoreboard read 36-35, but it was short lived as Iowa State answered before the Fort Worth native tickled the twine from deep to give the Frogs a 39-37 lead at the 17:08 mark of the second stanza.
The two teams would go back and forth the next couple of trips, but Iowa State would take a 52-49 lead midway through the second frame of play before the Frogs made it a 52-50 game.
With the scoreboard reading 56-50 in favor of Iowa State, Ray got into the act, scoring an old fashioned three-point play to inch the Frogs closer, but ISU once again responded to take a three-point lead at 58-55 before Anderson pulled the Frogs within two off a finger roll with five minutes to go.
TCU would not get any closer down the stretch as Iowa State stalled the Frogs upset bid Saturday.
Freshman Hudson Price got the Frogs rolling early, ticking the twine from deep to give TCU a 3-0 advantage in the first couple of minutes. A few plays later, Shepherd got into the act, drilling a mid-range jumper to make it a 5-2 game at the 16-minute mark of the opening frame.
By the time Parrish drove by his defender and knocked down a jumper at the 14:45 mark, the Purple and White had opened a 9-3 advantage. The Frogs pushed it to a 15-7 lead midway through at the free throw line, but Iowa State closed the gap to 15-11 before Anderson drove to the hole and found pay-dirt with 10:31 showing on the clock.
With the Frogs up 17-15 at the 7:19 mark, Shepherd exploded to the rim and threw down the rock on a thunderous dunk to increase the Purple and White advantage, but once again ISU matched the Frogs intensity to tie it at 21-21.
Down the wire, the Frogs’ Anderson and Michael Williams both hit from deep, but the score stayed knotted at 28-28 in the closing minute. Iowa State would hit a late layup to take a 32-30 lead into the break.
TCU will have a quick turnaround as the Purple and White play host to Oklahoma State Monday at 6:00 p.m. CT inside Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
