Texas drops TCU in Longhorns’ final Big 12 game in Fort Worth
TCU’s comeback attempt against Texas came up just short as the Longhorns snapped the Horned Frogs’ three-game Big 12 winning streak in a 77-66 defeat on Saturday.
As has often been the case in Big 12 play, the Horned Frogs found themselves in a tightly contested league matchup in front of a star-studded Schollmaier Arena crowd.
LaDainian Tomlinson, Desmond Bane, Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti and the entire Horned Frogs football staff along with plenty of recruits were among the many in the stands for the jersey retirement ceremony of Kenrich Williams and for the final time TCU would host Texas in a Big 12 basketball game.
Coach Jamie Dixon wished the crowd could’ve witnessed a different outcome.
“We didn’t get it done, it’s disappointing,” Dixon said. “We had a great crowd, we were sold out. Somehow I didn’t get the message across that rebounding was going to decide this game and that’s what they did. They were the more physical team.”
With 3:53 remaining, the Horned Frogs were tied 64-64 with Texas. After a relatively quiet game, Longhorns guard Max Abmas scored six straight points including a tightly contested 3-pointer to give Texas a 70-64 lead with just over two minutes remaining.
Abmas continued to put on a show with a long 3-point goal from the top of the key for a nine-point Longhorns’ lead with 1:47 remaining. In totality Abmas went on a personal 11-0 run to put the game away for the Longhorns. Abmas finished with a game-high 21 points.
“He hit a tough shot against Micah, a stepback 3, that’s tough shot,” Emanuel Miller said. “His shot on me was very deep, but I know personnel, I went through scout, we know he’s a capable shooter from anywhere on the court. It’s just a credit to him, he’s a great player, he’s one of the best scorers in this league. We have to do better.”
TCU has a week off before traveling to No. 12 Iowa State.
Lack of physicality
Dixon mentioned the lack of physicality at least a dozen times during the postgame press conference. The Longhorns were able to exploit that advantage in two key areas. The first was with their ball pressure on defense. When TCU’s guards would initiate the pick-and-roll, the Longhorns would use a big man to show, or hedge, in front of the guard to slow them down.
It wasn’t quite a trap, but it caused enough confusion to force all of TCU’s primary ball handlers into a combined 10 turnovers including four from Jameer Nelson Jr. More importantly Texas dominated on the glass, a point that clearly had Dixon frustrated after the game.
Texas out-rebounded TCU 34-21 and 14-7 on the offensive glass. Dixon was quick to point out that five of those offensive rebounds went out of bounds off a Texas player or something similar so the number was closer to two. The Longhorns out scored TCU 17-5 in second chance points in what ultimately ended up being the difference.
“They were the more physical team, I don’t know how many times I can say it,” Dixon said. “If you look at their numbers they’re not outstanding on the glass. We simply just didn’t get it done.”
Disu and Dillon’s damage
Texas big man Dylan Disu continued to be a problem for TCU on Saturday. Disu scored in double figures in three matchups against the Horned Frogs last season including 15 points in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals last March. Disu was just as effective this time around and showcased his increased range.
Disu nailed two 3-pointers in the first half to help lead a comeback attempt. In the second half after TCU had taken a 55-54 lead, Disu immediately responded with a powerful dunk over the TCU while being fouled to put the Longhorns back in front. Mitchell, the former five-star, was also a problem as he used his athleticism to be a force on the offensive glass.
After TCU tied the game at 57, Mitchell came up with a huge three-point play that jump started a 7-0 run by Texas late in the second half. The talented big men combined for 28 points and 18 rebounds.
“When a team is shooting 50 percent it’s hard to grab those rebounds,” Miller said. “As for the offensive rebounds, I just think we did a poor job of hitting the glass. Credit to Texas for boxing out, I think we need to fight a little harder.”
Fast start not enough
The game couldn’t have started any better for TCU as the Horned Frogs jumped out to a 14-4 lead in front of lively home crowd. Avery Anderson scored nine of the team’s 14 points including a 3-pointer. However, even as TCU’s offense shot better than 60 percent most of the first half, the Longhorns were able to work their way back into the game.
Dylan Disu was the first catalyst as he scored eight of Texas’ points during a 10-0 run that give the Longhorns their first lead of the game. When Disu went to the bench with his second foul with roughly six minutes remaining, it seemed like an ideal time for TCU to re-establish control of the game. Instead Texas was able to increase its lead due to tenacious ball pressure on defense.
In the final 4:51 of the half, the Horned Frogs turned it over five times leading to a pair of highlight dunks for Texas. After leading by 10 at one point, the Horned Frogs went into halftime facing a surprising 43-32 deficit to the Longhorns despite shooting 54 percent for the half.
This story was originally published February 3, 2024 at 3:14 PM.
