No. 15 TCU men’s basketball stunned at home by Northwestern State
The lackluster start to a season that started with so much promise for No. 15 TCU grew even worse Monday night as unheralded Northwestern State shocked the Horned Frogs 64-63 at Schollmaier Arena.
Facing a Northwestern State team that was picked to finish in the bottom half of the Southland Conference, TCU found itself tied trailing 62-61 late in the game.
After Eddie Lampkin briefly put the Horned Frogs back in front, NSU guard Demarcus Sharp hit a turnaround jumper to give the Demons back the edge, 64-63, with 1:12 remaining.
The Horned Frogs squandered multiple chances to retake the lead, but were able to get the ball back with 6.6 seconds remaining with a chance to avoid the upset.
But Chuck O’Bannon’s 3-point attempt rimmed out to complete the ugly 64-63 loss for the Horned Frogs (2-1).
“Give credit to Northwestern State, they had a great game plan and made some tough shots early,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “I’ve got to do a better job of putting us in position and preparing us for every instance.”
The Horned Frogs played with Mike Miles Jr., who sat out due to a lower body injury. The preseason Big 12 Player of the Year was seen limping on the sidelines as he tried to cheer his team on.
“Obviously we have a unique situation being without two guys,” Dixon said alluding to Miles’ injury and Damion Baugh’s suspension. “But we have to prepare for those situations and I didn’t have us prepared.”
Miles’ absence was felt as the Horned Frogs had issues finding offense late in the game. TCU gained some separation after the break and led by as many as 12 points, but the Demons relied on the 3-pointer to whittle down TCU’s lead.
“Defensively, there were little adjustments we didn’t make,” Emanuel Miller said. “We did a poor job of closing out, I think there were a lot of little mistakes we could’ve done better.”
Life without Miles
It was a growth opportunity for guards Shahada Wells and Rondel Walker as both played extended minutes. Miles was out after betting banged up with a lower body injury in the win over Lamar on Friday.
The team was without Damion Baugh again, who will miss three more games due to a NCAA suspension for signing with an agent that was certified by the NBA, but not NCAA. In their place, Jamie Dixon started Wells, Micah Peavy, Emanuel Miller, Chuck O’Bannon and Eddie Lampkin.
The starting line struggled to find its footing in the first half as the Horned Frogs shot just 31% and had seven assists against six turnovers. TCU finished the day shooting just 36% and only 10% from behind the arc.
“Simply put, their guards outplayed ours,” Dixon said.
O’Bannon and Peavy were the only players to reach double figures. O’Bannon had 12 points went just 3-of-14 from the floor while Peavy added 10.
Dixon acknowledged not having Baugh and Miles is tough, but it’s not something that should’ve flustered the offense so much.
“Nobody’s feeling sorry for us, no one’s giving excuses. We’ve got a unique situation and we have to better for it,” he said. “I thought we were equipped and I thought I had them in the right spots and understanding, but it wasn’t there tonight and hasn’t been there the last few days.”
3-point woes continue
The Horned Frogs were optimistic they addressed their 3-point shooting, which was among the worst in the country in 2021. Three games in, it’s been hard to see progress. TCU entered the night only shooting 22% from outside and that percentage will only get worse.
TCU missed its first 11 3-point attempts as Northwestern State relied on a zone defense to keep the Horned Frogs out of the lane. Most of the shots were clean and open, but TCU failed to knock them down. Without making the defense respect them outside, the paint remain clogged.
“It’s not deflating, shots aren’t falling right now. We’re shooting horrible from the 3-point line and the free throw line,” Miller said. “But we have players that get in the gym, players that work hard and players that can shoot the ball. Right now it’s not being displayed.”
On the flip side, TCU’s 3-point defense remains a work in progress.
The Horned Frogs limited most of the Northwestern State roster from getting hot, but couldn’t contain Ja’Monta Black. Black hit seven 3-pointers and was the main catalyst in helping the Demons storm back. He hit four shots in a row including a 3 that tied it at 61.
Black scored a game-high 25 points and Demarcus Sharp added 19 points including the game-winner.
This story was originally published November 14, 2022 at 9:18 PM.
