TCU Remains Unbeaten

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OXFORD, Miss. – A strong second half allowed TCU to move to 8-0 on the season with a 66-54 dismantling of Ole Miss Thursday night in the second annual SEC/Big 12 Challenge at C.M. Tad Smith Coliseum.

In a total team-effort, the Horned Frogs, who are receiving votes in both polls, had four players record double-figures Thursday as Karviar Shepherd scored a game-high 14 points on 6-for-13 from the field, while grabbing a game-high nine boards. Brandon Parrish and Kyan Anderson added 11 points apiece, respectively. Anderson, who moved into No. 12 all-time in scoring Thursday, also dished out five of TCU’s 18 assists. Finally, senior Amric Fields rounded out the Purple and White notables, dropping 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting.

For the game, the Frogs shot 40 percent from the field. They did most of their damage from deep, scorching the nets by shooting 50 percent from behind the arc.

Due to TCU’s stingy defense, Ole Miss was held to only 29.8 percent from the field Thursday, which included a 7-for-28 showing (25 percent) in the first half. Stefan Moody was the only Rebel in double-figures, scoring 12 points on a dismal 3-of-11 from the floor.

With the win, TCU, who out-rebounded Ole Miss to the tune of 43-33, improved

to 8-0 on the year, while the Rebels, who came into the game having defeated nationally ranked Creighton and Cincinnati, dropped to 5-2 on the season. The Horned Frogs are 8-0 for the first time since 1997-98.

TCU would jump out to a 33-26 lead three minutes into the second half as Shepherd drove by his defender and scored on a reverse layup. In all, the Frogs opened the half on a 6-2 run.

A couple of plays later, Kenrich Williams got into the act, soaring through the air after a miss and finding the bottom of the net. On the very next possession, Shepherd pushed the Frog advantage to 37-31 with a turnaround jumper at the 15:18 mark.

With the Purple and White ahead 38-31, Fields found a cutting Williams for an uncontested layup, but Ole Miss continued to battle, knocking down a trey ball on the other end to make it a 40-34 game. The two teams would trade possessions the next couple of trips, but the Purple and White would go up by eight with a little over 12 minutes remaining in the contest.

The Frogs would build their lead to 10 at the charity stripe before Shepherd nailed a mid-range jumper to increase the Frogs advantage. A few plays later, Chauncey Collins would burry a deep three with the shot clock expiring to make it a 52-37 ballgame at the 9:30 mark.

Ole Miss would cut it to 58-45 with 4:28 left to go in the contest, but the Horned Frogs were able to close out the game, improving to 2-0 all-time in SEC/Big 12 Challenges.

Anderson got the Frogs going right out of the gate as Chris Washburn found the senior for a three early on. The two teams would go back and forth the next couple of possessions before Washburn crossed over his defender and laid it off the glass from the outside to make it a 7-6 ballgame at the 14:22 mark.

With the scoreboard reading 11-10 in favor of TCU at the midway point, the Rebels buried a deep jumper to take a 12-11 lead. It was short lived though as Collins drove by his defender and found Parrish in the corner, who proceeded to rip the nets from deep to regain the Purple and White lead at about the 8-minute mark.

Ole Miss regained the lead with a little over 5 minutes to go in the half at 17-16, but Parrish once again tickled the twine from deep to make the scoreboard read 19-17 in favor of TCU.

Another three late in the half by the sophomore helped the Frogs take a 27-24 lead into intermission.

TCU will next be in action Tuesday, Dec. 9 versus Furman. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. CT from Wilkerson-Greines.