TCU Takes Down Tulsa
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska – TCU had three players score in double-figures Friday night en route to a 72-65 victory over Tulsa in semifinal action of the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout.
With the win, the Horned Frogs, now 4-2 on the season, won their fourth-straight contest and advanced to Saturday’s championship against either Harvard or Green Bay, who play the late game Friday. The Purple and White will close out play in Anchorage at 11:30 p.m. CT Saturday night at Sullivan Arena.
TCU, who led by as many as 18 in the second half, found its groove midway through the opening frame of play, going on a 16-4 run to break the game wide open. The Golden Hurricane tried to rally late, but the Frogs held on down the stretch with some timely baskets and all-out hustle on the defensive end of the court.
Junior Amric Fields, who was named the Carrs/Safeway Player of the Game, led the way for TCU, scoring a season-high 17 points on 6-of-10 from the field. By scoring in double-figures, Fields has now posted three-straight double-figure scoring games. Charles Hill Jr. was also in double-digits with a season-high 10 points, while Brandon Parrish rounded out TCU’s notable scorers with 15 points on 6-of-10 from the field. The freshman has now
scored in double-figures in five out of six games on the season.
Not to be outdone, fellow freshman Karviar Shepherd for a second-straight night led TCU on the glass with 10 boards. With his 10-board outing, Shepherd has now posted back-to-back games of 10 or more rebounds.
James Woodard carried Tulsa (1-5) with 13 points, while Rashad Smith was the only other Golden Hurricane in double-figures with 11 points.
Parrish got the Frogs going in the opening stages of the second half, floating in a jumper. On the very next possession, Fields toed the line and hit a deep basket to make the scoreboard read 35-23 at the 18:35 mark of the second period. Tulsa continued to battle as Smith opened the half scoring all five of the Golden Hurricane points, which helped bring the scoreboard to 35-27 with 16:41 showing on the clock.
By the time Fields scored back-to-back buckets at the 14:35 mark, TCU appeared to be in business, now up 42-29. A few plays later, the junior continued his offensive production, draining a triple to push the Frog advantage to 47-31. Christian Gore then go into the act, tipping in the rock with 12:45 showing, which gave TCU a 49-31 lead. In all, the Frogs went on an 11-2 run, which started with Fields jumper.
Tulsa would chip away at the Horned Frog lead pulling within 51-41, but Fields would have nothing of it, scoring an old fashion three-point play with 8:02 in the period to stifle the Golden Hurricane run for the time being. Tulsa would cut it to 56-50 before Shepherd calmly stepped to the line and sank both free throws at the 4:47 mark of the second half.
With the scoreboard reading 59-54 in favor of TCU, Kyan Anderson drove by his defender and found a slicing Parrish who promptly laid it in to make it 61-54 with a little over three minutes to go in the contest. Tulsa would score on the next possession off a put-back to pull within five, but Hill Jr. drew a huge charge on the defensive end to get the ball back for the Purple and White with 2:24 left to go in the game.
The two teams would go back and forth the next couple of trips and TCU led 65-61 with 1:24 showing on the clock, but just like before Parrish attacked the rim to score a running layup plus the foul to increase the Purple and White lead to 68-61 down the stretch.
Tulsa made it interesting on the very next possession, scoring a three-point play of their own, but the Frogs were able to seal the game down the stretch to advance to Saturday’s championship game.
Anderson started off right where he left off the other night, draining a trey on the opening possession to give TCU an early 3-0 lead. Parrish continued the Frogs onslaught from deep a few plays later, burring a triple from the corner to increase the TCU lead to 6-2 at the 17:14 mark.
Tulsa continued to battle though tying the game at 8-8 off a 6-2 run, but Gore found Parrish down low for the bucket with 14:54 showing on the clock to end the mini-run for the Golden Hurricane.
The two teams would go back and forth the next couple of trips until Hill Jr. got by his defender and rattled home a layup in traffic midway through. The sophomore continued to produce for the Purple and White a few possessions, draining a triple at the 10-minute mark to give the Frogs a 19-12 lead.
By the time Anderson flipped in an over the shoulder bucket with 8:36 showing on the clock, the Frogs were in the midst of a 12-2 run to make the scoreboard read 23-14. During the run, the duo of Anderson and Hill Jr. did all of the damage, scoring from both inside and out. The Purple and White also got defensive during the stretch as Tulsa went 0-for-5 from the field.
Jarvis Ray gave the Frogs a 25-16 lead at the 6:57 mark of the opening frame of play, thundering home a rim-rattling dunk. On the very next trip, Parrish found pay-dirt, tear dropping in a jumper from the right side of the court to make it 27-16 with a little over five minutes to go in the half.
A late three to beat the shot clock by Fields helped the Frogs take a 31-22 lead into the break.
TCU will close out play in Alaska tomorrow at 11:30 p.m. CT against either Harvard or Green Bay at Sullivan Arena.
