TCU’s NCAA tourney hopes damaged in 75-74 fall at home to Kansas State
TCU’s quest to end its 19-year absence as a participant in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament hit another roadblock Wednesday night in Schollmaier Arena.
The Horned Frogs fell to Kansas State 75-74 to drop into seventh place in the Big 12 conference standings with one game remaining on the regular-season schedule. The setback marked the sixth consecutive loss for TCU (17-13, 6-11 in Big 12), extending the longest skid of the season at a time when the Frogs are vying with Kansas State (18-12, 7-10) and other bubble teams for at-large spots in the 68-team field for March Madness.
TCU last played in the NCAA Tournament in 1998.
The teams’ placement in the final Big 12 standings could be key in determining which schools receive at-large NCAA bids. The Big 12 has sent seven teams to March Madness in each of the last three seasons.
The Frogs damaged their chances Wednesday by losing their second consecutive one-point contest at home. TCU also fell to No. 10 West Virginia 61-60 on Saturday.
Forward Vladimir Brodziansky led the Frogs in scoring with 18 points. K-State’s Dean Wade had a game-high 20 points, including a pivotal three-pointer with 2:00 remaining that gave the Wildcats a 69-65 lead.
K-State was 6-of-6 from the foul line over the final two minutes while protecting that advantage. Kansas State guard Wesley Iwundu said the Wildcats were focused on avenging their 86-80 loss to TCU on Feb. 1 and understood the postseason ramifications after losing the team’s last game 81-51 to Oklahoma, the league cellar-dweller.
“We knew what was at stake,” Iwundu said. “We showed a lot of toughness we hadn’t in our last few games.”
For the Frogs, the latest setback was a bitter one.
“This one hurts more than any loss I’ve had since I’ve been here,” said TCU guard Brandon Parrish, a senior from Arlington Seguin who scored 11 points in the final home game of his college career. “This is definitely the most devastating because of the fact we had so much on the line and we kind of gave it away. This one was tough. It’s going to be hard to sleep tonight.”
The Wildcats were hot from the start when shooting from long range. K-State made 6-of-12 from beyond the arc in the first half while building a 40-29 halftime advantage. The 11-point halftime deficit matched the largest of the season and marked the largest in any of the Frogs’ 19 home game.
TCU coach Jamie Dixon said, “We can’t expect to win the way we’re playing. We’ve got to find ways to improve.”
K-State’s first six scoring trips included four 3-pointers and two three-point plays (made shot, plus free throw). The last of those three-point trips put the Wildcats ahead 18-16 with 11:25 remaining in the half. K-State never trailed again, although TCU trimmed the lead to one point on five different occasions in the second half, the final time on an Alex Robinson three-pointer with one second remaining.
But the Frogs never took a second-half lead and K-State answered every run. At this point, the Frogs’ most likely avenue into the NCAA field rests with winning the Big 12 conference tournament, March 8-11 in Kansas City, Mo.
“We’re going to have to go to Kansas City and be better than we’ve been all season,” Parrish said.
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KANSAS ST. (18-12): Iwundu 7-11 0-0 16, Wade 8-15 0-0 20, Johnson 3-6 6-7 12, Stokes 2-9 10-11 16, Brown 2-6 0-2 5, Sneed 0-1 0-0 0, Maurice 3-4 0-2 6, Ervin 0-2 0-0 0, Patrick 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-55 16-22 75.
TCU (17-13): Brodziansky 6-9 6-6 18, Miller 2-7 1-1 5, Fisher 3-7 1-2 9, Robinson 4-10 4-6 14, K.Williams 6-9 0-0 13, Shepherd 1-1 2-2 4, Washburn 0-1 0-0 0, B.Parrish 4-8 0-0 11, Bane 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-52 14-17 74.
Halftime—Kansas St. 40-29. 3-Point Goals—Kansas St. 9-21 (Wade 4-9, Iwundu 2-3, Stokes 2-5, Brown 1-2, Ervin 0-1, Sneed 0-1), TCU 8-19 (B.Parrish 3-5, Fisher 2-4, Robinson 2-4, K.Williams 1-4, Miller 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Kansas St. 28 (Iwundu 10), TCU 27 (K.Williams 11). Assists—Kansas St. 17 (Stokes 7), TCU 19 (Fisher, Robinson 6). Total Fouls—Kansas St. 21, TCU 21. Technicals—Stokes, Fisher.
This story was originally published March 1, 2017 at 10:55 PM with the headline "TCU’s NCAA tourney hopes damaged in 75-74 fall at home to Kansas State."