Short-handed TCU rallies to erase double-digit deficit, but can’t put away Iowa State
TCU almost pulled off an improbable comeback at Iowa State on Tuesday night.
The Horned Frogs rallied from an 18-point deficit in the second half, but couldn’t deliver in the final minutes. Instead, the Cyclones came through late for a 65-59 victory at Hilton Coliseum.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say we ran out of gas,” said Frogs senior guard Desmond Bane, who scored a game-high 22 points with 11 rebounds and five assists.
“We just didn’t make the plays you have to make down the stretch. We put ourselves in great position to win the game with our fight and relentlessness in the second half. We just didn’t get it done.”
TCU (15-13, 6-9 Big 12) deserves credit for overcoming the 18-point deficit on a night it played without its top two point guards in RJ Nembhard (groin) and Francisco Farabello (concussion).
But this is a game the Frogs should have won against the reeling Cyclones (12-16, 4-11), fresh off a 30-point home loss against Texas Tech on Saturday.
Once again, though, TCU showcased its road struggles by digging an early hole and failing to deliver in areas they preach. The Frogs, who dropped to 1-8 on the road, didn’t win the rebounding battle (36-36) and had twice as many turnovers as the Cyclones (14-7).
“Our performance was disappointing for me in the first half, but I thought we showed great courage and toughness and character responding in the second half,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “We had our opportunities. We had the lead, but certainly disappointing. Too many turnovers, didn’t out-rebound them, our shot selection wasn’t good enough and our defense clearly wasn’t good enough.”
Iowa State took a 43-25 lead with 19:30 left, capping a 10-0 run from late in the first half into early in the second half on a jumper by forward Michael Jacobson.
But TCU chipped away at it with a 13-2 run, including seven points by Bane, to pull within 45-38 with 15:09 left. The Frogs had a 9-0 run later in the half to take a 55-53 lead with 5:18 left, jumping in front on a pair of free throws by freshman PJ Fuller.
The Frogs then went cold from the field, making just 2 of 9 shots in the final 5:18.
It was a 59-all game with less than a minute left when Iowa State’s Rasir Bolton drew a foul against TCU’s Edric Dennis with 45 seconds left. Bolton made both free throws to take a 61-59 lead.
Dennis missed a jumper in the lane on the next possession, which led to two more free throws by Iowa State. Trailing 63-59 with 19 seconds left, Dennis again tried to get to the rim but had his layup blocked.
Iowa State converted two more free throws to put the game away.
“I was trying to go strong and possibly get a foul,” Dennis said of the late-game drives. “I wasn’t just outright looking for [a foul]. I knew that it would be nice if we could get to the line. I just didn’t get it done.”
Dennis played a season-high 34 minutes, 51 seconds because of the injuries to Nembhard and Farabello. He finished with 10 points on 3 of 12 shooting with one assist and five turnovers.
“It was unfortunate that Francisco Farabello and RJ Nembhard were out,” Dennis said. “But I’ve been in these positions earlier in the year. Lately I really haven’t, but I’m capable of it. When my name’s called, I’m supposed to be ready.”
Dennis, Bane and Dixon refused to blame the loss on the injuries even though Nembhard — the team’s second-leading scorer with 12.2 points per game — was a game-time scratch after injuring his groin in warmups.
TCU had its chances to pull off the comeback and simply fell short. The Frogs struggled containing Cyclones big man Solomon Young (20 points, seven rebounds and three blocks) and guard Tre Jackson, who scored a career-high 18 points.
“I think we’re a better team than what we played [like] tonight,” Dixon said. “Give them credit. We needed to get more free throws than them and we didn’t. We needed to out-rebound them and we didn’t.
“The things we said we had to do, we didn’t do. That’s why we came up short. I don’t care about losing two point guards right before. We had the opportunity and didn’t get it done.”
TCU returns to action against No. 2 Baylor on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at Schollmaier Arena.
This story was originally published February 25, 2020 at 9:41 PM.
