TCU
0-28-6; Big 12
West Virginia
2-013-1; Big 12
TCU Falls Late To No. 17 West Virginia
1/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 04, 2016
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FORT WORTH, Texas - TCU pushed No. 17 West Virginia to the brink Monday night, but in the end dropped a hard-fought 95-87 decision to the Mountaineers in its Big 12 Conference home opener inside Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena.
The Rundown
In a game that featured a combined 79 free throws, TCU led by one with 5:56 remaining in the contest, but a late run allowed WVU to escape despite five ties and six lead changes. With the loss, the Horned Frogs moved to 8-6 overall and 0-2 in league play, while West Virginia improved to 13-1 and 2-0 in the Big 12.
Chauncey Collins carried TCU on the offensive end Monday, scoring a career-high 20 points, which included a 4-of-8 showing from long range. Junior Karviar Shepherd was also in double-figures with 18 points on 4-of-9 from the field, including 10-of-11 from the charity stripe. Malique Trent rounded out the Horned Frog notables, dropping 15 points.
On the night, TCU forced the Mountaineers into 22 turnovers, while holding a 28-15 advantage in points off turnovers. The Horned Frogs shot 87.5 percent from the free throw line and 46.2 percent from behind the arc.
Chris Washburn got the Frogs going early in the second half, throwing down a thunderous dunk 2 minutes into the period to give TCU a 49-45 advantage. A few plays later, Collins ripped the nets from deep and the Frogs took a 54-50 lead with 17:22 on the clock. Michael Williams followed suit with a three ball of his own and TCU upped its advantage to 60-53.
WVU regained the lead at 62-61 midway through, but Shepherd was able to stall the attack, making 1-of-2 at the charity stripe with 12 minutes remaining in the contest. The Mountaineers would push it to 66-62 before the junior would calmly make two more at the line to pull the Frogs within two.
With the scoreboard 72-68 in slight favor of West Virginia, Shepherd went back to work down low, scoring an old fashioned three-point play to pull the Frogs within one. On the very next possession, Washburn scored following a beautiful spin move to give the Frogs a 73-72 lead.
Down the stretch, Trent would sky for a dunk to pull TCU within two at 79-77, but WVU was able to take an 88-77 lead on a 9-0 run before Shepherd connected on a turn-around hook with 1:54 left to put an end to the Mountaineer attack.
TCU inched a little closer in the final minute following a three-point play by Vladimir Brodziansky, but was only able to cut it to eight in the closing minute.
WVU jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the ballgame until Trent scored a layup off a long pass from Washburn with 17:20 showing on the clock. The two teams would go back and forth the next couple of trips until the sophomore stole the rock and went coast-to-coast for the layup to make the scoreboard read 10-9 in slight favor of WVU with 14 minutes left in the opening frame.
With the scoreboard reading 17-13, TCU went on a 13-3 run, which included a rare four-point play by Collins at the 10-minute mark to give the Frogs a 26-20 lead. A few plays later, Shepherd ripped the nets on a jumper to increase the Frog advantage, but WVU would continue to battle, pulling within one a minute later.
Collins continued to go to work late in the half, nailing another triple at the 7:43 mark to make it a 33-29 lead for the Purple and White. The sophomore then proceeded to blow by his defender for a layup with 6:29 on the clock, which propelled TCU to a four-point lead at 37-33.
Down the stretch, the two teams would trade possessions the rest of the way as TCU took a 47-45 advantage into the break.
Quote of the Game
Trent Johnson
"That's a good basketball team. We had a hard time guarding them in man, and we had a hard time guarding them in zone. The disappointing thing is we spend a lot of time talking about maintaining poise and playing the game with a level of mental toughness. We lost our poise, and it hurt us down the stretch."
GAME NOTES
• TCU moved to 8-6 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play.
• TCU and West Virginia met for only the seventh time on the hardwood.
• TCU moved to 40-8 all-time under Trent Johnson when leading at the half.
• TCU moved to 8-1 this season when leading at the half.
• Chauncey Collins posted a career-high 20 points in the loss.
• Collins tied career-high in 3-point field goals made Monday.
• Collins posted a career-high in minutes Monday.
• Karviar Shepherd posted a career-high in free throws made Monday with 10.
• Shepherd also recorded a career-high in free throw attempts Monday.
• Malique Trent scored in double-figures for a third-straight game.
