TCU Falls to Colorado State in Double Overtime, 95-89
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FORT COLLINS, Colo.—TCU fought back from an 11-point deficit late in regulation to force extra time, but Colorado State made the plays it needed late during a 95-89 double-overtime win Saturday at the Rams’ Moby Arena in both team’s Mountain West opener.
The loss dropped TCU’s season record to 10-6 overall, while CSU improved to 12-4. It marked the Horned Frogs’ first loss this season in seven games decided by six points or less.
TCU led by two points with two minutes to play in the final overtime period following a fastbreak dunk by junior guard/forward Garlon Green that was fed off a steal downcourt by senior guard Hank Thorns. The Rams took control from there. Point guard Dorian Green tied the game with a pair of free throws before forward Will Bell put the squad up for good with a layup on the following CSU possession. Guards Jesse Carr and Will Eikmeier then iced the game at the line, as both went 2-for-2 at the line for the Rams.
The Frogs showed their mettle late in regulation and in the first overtime, overcoming deficits to extend the game. Sophomore forward Amric Fields scored the tying points in both frames with under four secondsremaining.
TCU found itself in a deep hole late in regulation, trailing by 11 points with just over two-and-a-half minutes to play. The squad met the challenge, scoring the final 11 points in the period while holding the Rams scoreless. Eight of the points came at the charity stripe, as Thorns and Fields both went 2-for-2 twice, while Thorns also added a key 3-pointer following a CSU turnover. Fields’ final two shots were especially clutch, as he knotted the game at 76-76 with only 3.2 seconds left following a Ram full timeout.
Fields again forced an extra frame in the first overtime, scoring on a running
layup with 0.3 seconds remaining after driving across the paint. TCU trailed by as many as four points early in the stanza thanks to a pair of Eikmeier jumpers.
Thorns and Fields led the TCU scoring attack, totaling 21 and 20 points, respectively. Thorns made 6-of-14 field-goal attempts, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range, in addition to collecting five assists and threesteals. Sixteen of his career-high-tying point total came in the second half and overtime. Fields also had a strong night from the field, drilling 7-of-10 field goals and going 5-for-5 at the charity stripe. He kept his team in in the game during a sloppy TCU opening period with 12 first-half points.
Garlon Green recorded the second double-double of his career, and the first this season, with 14 points and a career-best 12 rebounds, while senior forward Craig Williams and freshman guard Kyan Anderson added nine points each. Anderson hit a career-high three 3-pointers, helping TCU make a season-best 12 treys.
The Rams featured a pair of 20-point scorers in Bell and Eikmeier, who totaled 23 and 21 points, respectively. Eikmeier scored 19 of his points after halftime and nine in overtime alone. Dorian Green added 19 points, while Carr (12) and forward Pierce Hornung (11) also reached double figures.
CSU claimed a four-point halftime lead on the strength of a strong first-half shooting performance. The squad was a sizzling 16-of-22 overall from the field (72.7 percent) in the period and posted 26 points in the paint. The Frogs helped CSU out mightily on the offensive end, giving the ball up 12 times in the half that resulted in a 19-7 advantage in points off turnovers.
TCU continues its two-game road stretch Wednesday, when it heads to Las Vegas, Nev., to take on No. 12 UNLV at the Rebels’ Thomas & Mack Center. The contest, which will be televised live by The MountainWest Sports Network, is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. PT.
