TCU Caps Opening Homestand, Handles Austin College
{fshare id=1877}
FORT WORTH—TCU posted its most lopsided victory in more than a decade Monday evening, handling Austin College by a count of 103-45 at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Each of the 13 Horned Frogs who dressed scored at last two points.
The Frogs improved to 2-0 for the third straight season and the fifth time in the last six years.
The 58-point margin of victory marked TCU’s largest in a game since a 130-71 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Dec. 30, 2000. The Frogs also forced 35 turnovers, the most by an opponent since that same contest against APBU, while they broke the 100-point barrier for the first time since a triple-overtime win over Texas State on Nov. 24, 2009 (108-99). It marked the first triple-digit regulation game for TCU since a 102-89 victory over Centenary on Jan. 4, 2003.
Four Frogs scored in double figures, including junior guard/forward Garlon Green, who totaled a game-high 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Green appeared to play most of the game above the rim, collecting four individual dunks on the night. As a team, TCU was credited with seven slams. Junior forward Adrick McKinney notched TCU’s first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore forward Amric Fields also reached double digits with 11.
Sophomore guard Jarvis Ray was one of seven Frogs who either set new or matched previous career scoring highs, as he totaled 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting. TCU controlled the game from start to finish, giving the squad a chance to empty its bench early in the second half.
Each of the 13 players who dressed saw the court for at least six minutes, including junior Cheick Kone and sophomores Thomas Montigel and Chris Zurcher, all of whom did not played in Friday’s season opener. All three players set career scoring highs, including Zurcher who excited the DMC crowd with nine points on 4-of-4 shooting in the game’s final six minutes. Montigel scored the first four points of his career while hitting a 3-pointer and free throw, while Kone also totaled four points, which was three more than his previous career high.
Overshadowed by the performance of the TCU reserves was yet another steady night by All-Mountain West senior guard Hank Thorns, who scored nine points and dished out a game-high eight assists. Senior forward Craig Williams and freshman guard Kyan Anderson added eight points each, while senior forward J.R. Cadot recorded five points and nine rebounds to lead TCU to a 48-34 advantage on the glass.
TCU put the game out of reach early, scoring nine of game’s first 12 baskets to run out to a 15-point lead, 23-8, only 7:25 into the contest. Green had nine points in the stretch, including his first 3-pointer of the year.
The lead stretched to 25 points after an 8-0 TCU run over a 3:17 period near the end of the half. Green capped the scoring with a slam off an alley-oop pass from Anderson with only 37 seconds remaining. The Frogs held the ‘Roos without a field goal for the final 3:40 of the half.
TCU scored the first eight points of the second half and eventually pushed the lead to as many as 59 points, 74-33, with only 52 seconds remaining.
The Frogs finished the night shooting 59.1 percent from the field. The squad outscored the ‘Roos 56-17 in the paint and 26-11 on the fast break. TCU’s bench accounted for 60 of its 103 points.
TCU takes to the road for the first time in 2011-12 later this week, as it travels to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam. The Frogs will first play Virginia on Friday at 5 p.m. CST, followed by a game against either Drexel or Norfolk State on Saturday or Sunday. The squad’s final contest will be Monday against a team still to be determined.
