TCU Defeats Mississippi State
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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Charles Hill Jr. scored a career-high 20 points as TCU remained perfect on the road this season, downing Mississippi State at Humphrey Coliseum Thursday night, 71-61.
The Horned Frogs, who led by as many as 18 Thursday, kept their poise down the stretch to move to 5-3 on the season, including 3-0 on the road. The Bulldogs suffered only their second loss of the season, dropping to 5-2.
TCU was led on the night by Hill Jr., who tallied a career-high 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field. Kyan Anderson also had a solid night, scoring 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting, while freshman Michael Williams matched his previous career-high, chipping in with 11 points.
The Frogs, who shot 45.5 percent from the field and over 80 percent from the charity stripe, cleaned up the glass Thursday, out-rebounding the Bulldogs, 34-32. Freshman Karviar Shepherd did most of the damage as he grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds. The Dallas native just missed his first career double-double, totaling nine points, while also blocking three shots. With his 16 rebound performance, Shepherd recorded the most boards in a single-game since Connell Crossland grabbed 15 rebounds against Kansas last February. He also fell one defensive rebound shy of tying the fifth-best defensive board performance in school history for a single-game. Former Frog and NBA great Kurt Thomas corralled 15 defensive rebounds against SMU in 1994.
Mississippi State was led on the night by Craig Sword’s 24 points on 9-of-12 from
the field. No other Bulldog scored in double-figures, which was thanks in large part to TCU’s swarming defense.
The Purple and White exploded out of intermission as senior Jarvis Ray stole the rock on the opening possession and went coast to coast to make the scoreboard read 36-22. On the next trip down the court, Anderson found pay-dirt as the Fort Worth native flipped the ball over his head and scored on an and-one to give TCU a 39-23 advantage two minutes into the period.
With the Frogs leading 39-25 at the 16:21 mark, Hill Jr. tickled the twine from deep to increase the Purple and White lead. MSU would continue to fight though, but the sophomore would have nothing of it, nailing his second-consecutive triple to stymie the Bulldog attack and make the scoreboard read, 45-27.
MSU would not go away though, pulling within 59-56 down the stretch before Hill Jr. rattled home two-straight at the charity stripe. Following a layup by Anderson, the Bulldogs tried to rally, but the Horned Frogs were able to close out the game at the charity stripe.
The two teams would go back and forth the first couple of trips, but Anderson busted a triple five minutes into the contest to give the Frogs an early 9-6 lead. Mississippi State responded to make it 10-8, but Anderson found Hill Jr. on consecutive possessions, which included a triple from the corner, to push the Frog lead to 15-8 at the 13:22 mark.
Defense turned to offense midway through as Shepherd swatted away a Bulldog on one end and watched as Ray found a cutting Hill Jr. at the 9:44 mark to push the TCU advantage to 17-8. On the very next possession, the sophomore continued his offensive production, driving to the rack and finding the bottom of the net to increase the Purple and White lead to 11.
Williams got into the act down the stretch, knocking down a three and a jumper to give TCU a 24-15 lead at the 5:47 mark of the opening frame of play. A few plays later, Mississippi State continued to battle, but Shepherd powered home a layup on the offensive end to regain the Frogs’ composure at 26-17.
With the scoreboard reading 26-20, Ray connected on an old-fashioned three-point play to move the Purple and White lead to nine. Not long after, the senior found the bottom of the net on a put-back to move the Frogs back up by double-digits.
TCU then put on a show as Anderson broke down his defender and dished it to Parrish in the corner for a three, which made the score 34-22 going into intermission.
The Horned Frogs will return home to face Texas-Pan American at 1:00 p.m. CT on Dec. 15.
