Big 12 Tournament: TCU MBB Falls to Texas in Semis, 66-60

TCU trailed the entire game and struggled putting together scoring runs. The Horned Frogs will find out their postseason destination and opponent on Sunday.

TCU’s run in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship came to a screeching halt Friday night with a 66-60 semifinal loss against Texas.

Both teams struggled offensively at times, but the Horned Frogs never quite put together a scoring run that could overtake the Longhorns. 

“It wasn’t our best game,” TCU head coach Jamie Dixon said. "I thought we’ve played better, but the effort was there, the desire was there, the focus was there. Just didn’t go our way.”

TCU guard Mike Miles scored a team-high 15 points and guard Chuck O’Bannon chipped in 12 points. Forward Damion Baugh secured a career-high 10 rebounds to go with six points.

Texas guard Dylan Disu and forward Christian Bishop each racked up 15 points. Disu also snagged eight rebounds while Bishop had seven. Guard Marcus Carr added 10 points.

The Horned Frogs trailed the entire game and shot 35% (21-of-59) from the field, including 8-of-19 (67%) three-pointers. Those three-point baskets kept TCU going when everything else went sideways.

Every fast break chance - except one - either ended in a missed shot, a blocked shot, or a turnover. Many shots within the offensive sets bounced around the rim and fell off.

“We had our opportunities, and we didn’t convert,” Dixon said. “I think that’s the simple way to put it.”

One of those opportunities came when Miles nailed a three-pointer at the 4:47 mark and cut the lead to 60-56. A Texas turnover gave TCU more momentum, which Baugh tried capitalizing on with a dunk. Instead, the ball ricocheted off the rim into the air.

TCU forward Emanuel Miller got fouled on the rebound but missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw set. The Horned Frogs stayed alive by stringing together a couple defensive stops. 

The ensuing offensive possessions ended in a missed Miles three-pointer and a blocked shot by Disu, Eventually, Carr broke the scoring drought and put Texas back up by six.

The Horned Frogs also made 10-of-15 free throw attempts. Miles did not contribute there like he usually does, despite a consistent attack.

“I attack them the same way every game,” Miles said. “I didn’t get the calls tonight. Sometimes I get them, sometimes I don’t.”

TCU fell behind 34-26 at halftime when Texas went on a 9-2 run. The Horned Frogs cut the lead to four points several times, but did not find enough answers.

“We got more aggressive down the stretch in the second half, bur our execution wasn’t good enough to come back from an 8-point deficit,” Dixon said.

It wasn’t TCU’s night.

And Texas did play a role in that outcome.

The Longhorns won the rebounding battle 40-38, blocked eight shots, and outscored the Horned Frogs 42-22 inside the paint. In addition, Texas committed just 10 turnovers, which limited TCU’s fast break opportunities.

“[TCU is] the fastest team in the country but taking care of the basketball early was a high emphasis,” Texas head coach Rodney Terry said. “I thought we did a nice job with that.”

TCU did hold Texas to 30% shooting (8-of-26) in the second half, which kept the door open for a comeback.

Dixon said the Horned Frogs’ two game-stint in Kansas City should help them be better prepared for next week’s NCAA Tournament. The Horned Frogs expect to hear their name called during Sunday’s selection show.

“I like where we are going forward here and I’m excited about [the team], Dixon said. “We got better in March and we’re going to get better in the next couple of days before we play in the NCAA Tournament.” 

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