TCU
4-10
Saint Mary's (Calif.)
7-5
Frogs fall to Gaels
1/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 3, 2006
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Daniel Kickert scored 20 points to lead Saint Mary's (Calif.) to a 65-57 victory over TCU in men's basketball action Tuesday night at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas.Saint Mary's (7-5), an NCAA Tournament team last season, was playing for the first time since an 89-80 Saturday win over No. 20 Nevada. The Gaels are predicted to finish second, behind Gonzaga, in the West Coast Conference this season.
TCU returns to action Saturday when it makes its Mountain West Conference debut with a 7 p.m. home game versus Wyoming.
The Horned Frogs trailed 10-6, before Nile Murry scored 14 points to key a 22-11 run over a 6:54 stretch to put TCU on top 28-21 with 2:17 to play in the first half. Judson Stubbs capped the spurt with a pair of free-throws.
Stubbs totaled 10 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season and his career. Stubbs equaled a season best in boards and was one shy of a career-high 12 set last year at Southern Miss.
TCU (4-10) led 28-25 at the half. The Frogs lost for the first time in five games when leading at the intermission this season.
A 3-pointer by Murry gave TCU its largest lead of the night at 35-28 with 17:24 to play.
The Gaels countered with a 23-9 spurt, capped by a 3-point play from Brett Collins, to take a 51-44 advantage with 8:34 remaining. Collins scored nine of his 13 points during that run.
A 3-pointer by Blake Adams, off an assist from Neil P. Dougherty, pulled TCU within 51-47.
Trailing 59-52 with 5:19 left, the Frogs scored five consecutive points to pull within 59-57 on a Stubbs free-throw with 2:33 to play. However, that would be as close as TCU would get.
A tip-in by Ian O'Leary off an offensive rebound extended the Gaels' lead to 61-57. Saint Mary's scored its final four points at the line to provide the final margin. O'Leary had 14 points.
Murry scored 19 points to reach double figures for the 15th time in the last 16 games dating back to last season. He added five rebounds.
Adams had nine points while Chudi Chinweze scored a season-best eight points for TCU.
The Frogs shot a season-best 76.5 percent (13-of-17) at the free-throw line. TCU held a 38-36 rebounding edge.
