TCU Loses To West Virginia

via The Sports Xchange

Daxter Miles Jr. connected on a free throw after a controversial foul with 4.8 seconds left to carry No. 12 West Virginia to a 61-60 win and dent TCU’s postseason tournament hopes Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas.
Miles finished with only three points, though his last one made the difference for West Virginia (23-6, 11-5 Big 12), coming after Horned Frogs guard Jaylen Fisher was whistled for a slight bump as Miles tried a 15-foot runner.
“Dax didn’t really get it at the rim like he should have got it at the rim, but that’s what’s going on in the game,” said Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins. “A drive to the rim is a foul.”


TCU’s Jamie Dixon, in his first year atop a program that hasn’t reached the NCAA field since 1998, was disappointed yet diplomatic.
“I thought we did a good job defending,” Dixon said. “It’ll be talked about a lot nationally, but you’ve gotta go with what’s called.”
Fisher’s season-best 18 points proved small consolation when the freshman guard covered his face after TCU (17-12, 6-10) lost its fifth consecutive game to slip deeper into NCAA bubble peril.
“I felt my hands were straight up, but it went their way,” Fisher said.
Now with a 2-10 record against the RPI top 50, TCU saw its latest chance at a signature victory undone by 21 turnovers, six by Fisher.
Fisher split two free throws to leave TCU behind 60-59 at the 50-second mark. After Carter’s missed jumper, the Frogs rebounded, called timeout, and designed a play that got Alex Robinson to line with 9.1 seconds left, where he made his second free throw to tie it.
That set the stage for Huggins to draw up a court-long counter play, where Miles tossed an out-of-bounds pass to Nathan Adrian, took the return and scurried into the frontcourt.
With the crowd jeering officials, Miles made the go-ahead free throw and missed his second try. TCU set up an efficient last-ditch play that led to Desmond Bane missing an open 3-point try from the right wing.
Jevon Carter scored 15 and Adrian had 13 points and eight rebounds as West Virginia swept the season series and improved to 11-0 all-time against the Horned Frogs.
In a game Dixon dubbed “the biggest game of the year,” TCU held West Virginia to a season-low 36.9 percent shooting but the Mountaineers committed only 11 turnovers and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, leading to an additional 19 field-goal attempts.
“Walk in the park,” joked Huggins, whose team stands tied with Iowa State for second place in the Big 12.
TCU’s top scorer, Vlad Brodziansky, went scoreless on just one shot attempt during the first 24 minutes, before scoring 11 points and registering four blocks during a solid second half.
Robinson scored 11 for TCU, which got 10 points and 10 rebounds by Kenrich Williams
Both teams were missing starting forwards. West Virginia played without Esa Ahmad (back strain), its second-leading scorer, while TCU lacked JD Miller (groin injury).
After opening the game shooting 2-of-14, TCU closed the half on a 7-of-10 tear including four 3-pointers. The last basket, Bane’s deep shot coming three seconds before halftime, gave the Frogs their first lead at 30-27.

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