TCU
5-2
USC
4-4
Frogs Stop USC, Remain Hot at Home
11/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2010
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FORT WORTH—TCU raced out to a seven-point first-half lead and never looked back, posting an 81-69 victory over USC Monday evening at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
The win, the Frogs' first over a Pac-10 opponent since 2002, pushed the team's season record to 5-2 for the first time since 2004-05, while the squad also improved to 4-0 at home this season. USC fell to 4-4 overall.
TCU continued its hot shooting this season at the DMC, making 50.8 percent of its attempts from the field Monday. The squad entered the game combining to shoot 51.9 percent through its previous three home victories. At the same time, the Frogs were able to lock down the glass, gaining a 40-33 rebounding edge, its largest advantage this season.
Four Frogs scored in double figures, including junior guard Ronnie Moss, who scored a game-high 20 points, his ninth career 20-point effort and second this season. Moss shot 7-of-15 from the field and 5-of-5 at the free-throw line. Overall, the Frogs went 16-of-20 at the charity stripe. Moss added a season-high three steals.
Junior guard Hank Thorns and senior forward Nicola Gacesa also reached double figures, scoring 12 points each. Thorns totaled a game-high eight assists, marking the fourth time this season he has had at least eight in a game. Gacesa pulled down seven rebounds, tying junior guard Sammy Yeager for the team lead.
Sophomore Garlon Green again was sharp from the field, connecting on 4-of-7 attempts while scoring 10 points. He shot above the 55.0 percent mark for the sixth time in TCU's seven contests.
Forward Nikola Vucevic led USC with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Fellow forward Alex Stepheson also notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards. Guard Bryce Jones scored 13 points and hit a pair of 3-pointers for the Trojans.
TCU ran out to an early 13-6 lead in the opening 4:30 after a stretch highlighted by 3-pointers from Thorns and Gacesa. Thorns added a traditional 3-point play to complete an 11-2 Frog spurt.
USC fought back with a 9-1 run that gave the squad its only lead at 29-28 with 3:30 remaining in the first half. The Trojans held the Frogs without a field goal for five full minutes during the stretch, but TCU responded with a 10-2 spurt of its own to end the period. Green recorded a reverse layup and a putback dunk off a missed 3-pointer by Yeager, while two free throws by Thorns gave TCU a 38-31 edge at intermission.
The Frogs scored the first seven points out of the locker room in the second half for a 14-point advantage. Gacesa started the run with a layup off a nice feed from Thorns, then finished it off with a 3-pointer off an assist by Moss. The two squads traded baskets from there, with USC climbing no closer than eight points the remainder of the game.
TCU returns to the DMC court Wednesday, when it plays host to Prairie View A&M at 7 p.m.
