TCU has its worst loss of the Jamie Dixon era as West Virginia rolls to easy victory
Jamie Dixon remembers talking with Bob Huggins last season, running into him in the parking lot shortly after TCU steamrolled West Virginia 98-67 in Fort Worth.
“I feel like Bob after we beat him,” Dixon said. “I feel like him right now.”
It’s not a good feeling.
Dixon and the rest of the Horned Frogs had a dejected look to them on Tuesday night, reeling from an 81-49 loss to No. 12 West Virginia at WVU Coliseum.
“Obviously not the result we wanted,” Dixon said. “Certainly out-played in every way — out-played, out-executed, out-coached, out-performed. Disappointed, but as I told our guys afterward, this has to be a one loss thing.”
Sometimes easier said than done.
The 32-point loss is the most lopsided since Dixon took over program, surpassing a 26-point loss at Baylor last season (90-64).
TCU’s three other losses came by a combined 12 points this season.
The Frogs (12-4, 3-1) entered the game with their best start to conference play in 21 years, but that came to an abrupt end. They’re also now 0-7 at West Virginia, and 2-85 all-time against ranked opponents on the road.
Asked about what makes Morgantown a tough place to play, senior guard Desmond Bane said: “They play a different style. They’re real physical. It’s a tough place to play. A lot of people probably won’t come in here and win this year.”
The Mountaineers (14-2, 3-1) showed why they’re the best rebounding team in the Big 12, dominating on the boards 38-24. They also forced the Frogs into 20 turnovers.
Clearly, it was an offensive struggle for TCU all night, as it scored its fewest points of the season. The Frogs stumbled out of the gates and were down 37-23 by half.
West Virginia went on a 14-0 run to take a 23-11 lead with 8:46 left in the first half. During that 3-minute, 24-second stretch, TCU missed multiple open 3-pointers, clanked a dunk off the rim and air-balled a jumper.
Bane ended the drought by making a 3-pointer with 8:31 left, but he picked up his second foul 20 seconds later. He stayed on the bench the rest of the half.
The Mountaineers took advantage, building a 14-point lead by the break.
The Frogs finished the opening half with twice as many turnovers (10) as assists (5). They also made just seven shots from the field (7-of-20), half compared to WVU’s (14-of-24).
Dixon explained his decision to leave Bane on the bench, saying: “We were right on the edge there. We had [cut the deficit] to eight, but didn’t finish off how we wanted to.
“Knowing how the fouls were mounting, I just didn’t feel like it was that type of game to do that.”
TCU pulled to within single digits a few times in the second half, knocking down its first four 3-pointers. But WVU always answered.
Jaire Grayer and RJ Nembhard made threes on consecutive possessions, for instance, to cut the deficit to 44-36 with 15:47 left. But WVU went on a 6-0 to regain a comfortable lead and then blew it open.
That 6-0 run turned into a 19-2 run and 63-38 lead for the Mountaineers.
In the process, TCU saw its top two big men, Jaedon LeDee and Kevin Samuel, foul out.
“We looked like we didn’t prepare at all,” Dixon said. “As it went on, we just withered. Our bench got depleted as we got guys in foul trouble. Everything we said we wanted to do, we didn’t do.”
TCU closed by missing its final 10 3-point attempts.
Nembhard led the team with 14 points on 2-of-9 shooting, while Bane finished with 13 points.
Derek Culver led West Virginia with a double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds), and three others finished with 11 points (Oscar Tshiebwe, Miles McBride and Jermaine Haley).
TCU travels to Oklahoma on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.
Bane is confident the team will respond the right way.
“No question,” Bane said. “I tell them stories about some of the stuff I’ve been through and some of the losses I’ve taken. We have a resilient group, a group that likes each other.
“When things aren’t going well, we’re going to have to find a way to stick together. I think we’ll get our minds right tomorrow and Thursday and Friday, and move on to Oklahoma.”
This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 10:07 PM.
