TCU loses late lead, falls to Oklahoma State in battle of NCAA bubble teams

Rule No. 1 for a men’s basketball team riding the NCAA Tournament bubble in mid-February: Don’t get swept by a conference rival with a similar record.

TCU broke that rule Wednesday in Schollmaier Arena, falling to Oklahoma State 71-68 in a contest that could have significant repercussions on both teams’ March Madness hopes.

The Cowboys scored the final four points in a back-and-forth contest, including a jumper by Jawun Evans with 13 seconds remaining, to hand the Horned Frogs (17-9, 6-7 in Big 12) their second consecutive loss in league play and sweep the regular-season series between the teams. OSU (17-9, 6-7) won the first meeting 89-76 on Jan. 23 in Stillwater, Okla.

TCU led much of the second half but surrendered the lead on a pair of Brandon Averette free throws with 1:02 remaining. After TCU forward Vladimir Brodziansky had his shot blocked by OSU’s Mitchell Solomon on the ensuing possession, the Cowboys came back with Evans’ clutch jumper and TCU could not respond.

Forward J.D. Miller led TCU in scoring with 16 points. Guard Kenrich Williams added 12 points and 11 rebounds to record his 10th double-double of the season. But the Frogs could not hold off the late surge by Evans (16 points, 12 assists), who scored 10 of OSU’s final 14 points to put the contest away.

“We just put the ball in Juwan’s hands. It was his to win or lose and he made the plays when he had to,” OSU coach Brad Underwood said. “It was just another night in the Big 12. If you think about anything but the next game, you’re going to get beat.”

TCU’s next game is Saturday at Iowa State (16-9, 8-5), the team that sits in fourth place in a packed set of Big 12 standings. The Frogs will head to Ames, Iowa, seeking to regain momentum in their efforts to secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.

TCU missed a chance to gain that momentum Wednesday, falling at home for only the fourth time in 17 contests this season.

“It’s tough because we’re fighting to get in the tournament. Every game from here on out matters,” Williams said. “Every game, we’re trying to win.”

TCU coach Jamie Dixon said: “A tough night. We had a late lead and didn’t get it done. We probably could have done a better job with shot selection down the stretch. We helped them get back into it.”

A back-and-forth first half shifted in Oklahoma State’s direction when the Cowboys went on a 9-0 run to erase TCU’s early 21-15 lead. Leyton Hammonds scored seven of the points in that surge, as well as 16 in the first half, by dialing in his shot from the perimeter. Hammonds made 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes, helping OSU to a 34-29 lead at the break.

TCU responded by making its first six shots of the second half, then went on a 10-0 run during a 1:38 stretch to take a 60-57 lead with 7:38 remaining on a Miller jumper. The Frogs held the lead until the 1:02 mark, when Averette’s free throws gave the Cowboys a 69-68 lead. It marked OSU’s first advantage during the final 8:08 and proved the be the last of eight lead changes in the contest.

“We’re playing to get in the tournament, so we’ve got to execute better on offense and defense,” Miller said. “We can’t take too many more losses.”

This story was originally published February 15, 2017 at 10:45 PM with the headline "TCU loses late lead, falls to Oklahoma State in battle of NCAA bubble teams."