TCU basketball knocks off Xavier 76-72 and snaps its two-game losing streak
TCU basketball picked up its biggest win of the season with a 76-72 victory over the Xavier Musketeers on Thursday at Schollmaier Arena.
“This was a great win for us tonight, we obviously needed it,” coach Jamie Dixon said. “I saw bits and pieces of how good we can be. I’m heavily encouraged. This is a really good team we beat and we found a way.”
Despite leading most of the game, TCU found itself in a close battle late as the Musketeers’ offense came alive in the second half. With just 2 minutes, 35 seconds remaining in the game the Horned Frogs led 67-66 after a pair of free throws by Trazarien White.
Xavier then knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner for a 69-67 lead with less than two minutes remaining.
But after Xavier missed a free throw, the Horned Frogs caught a break when Brendan Wenzel was fouled while shooting a 3-pointer with 1:21 remaining.
Wenzel made two of three to tie the game at 69-69.
Then TCU’s Ernest Udeh made the play of the game when he forced a steal and found a wide-open Vasean Allette on the fast break for the go-ahead bucket. Allette forced another turnover on Xavier’s next possession and the Musketeers had to foul with TCU in the bonus.
Allette made both free throws to put TCU ahead 73-69 with 46 seconds remaining.
“He stepped up big time, with us having Noah (Reynolds) out,” guard Frankie Collins said of Allette. “He played the most minutes he played all season I think. It was huge for him to be out there helping us on the offensive and defensive ends.”
Xavier had two more opportunities to chip into the lead, but freshman forward David Punch blocked Dayvion McKnight’s layup attempt with 25 seconds to put the game away.
Collins led TCU with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Udeh finished with 13 points, six rebounds and three steals.
The Horned Frogs entered the game on a two-game losing streak after going winless in the Acrisure Invitational in Palm Springs, California over the Thanksgiving weekend. TCU also to Michigan 76-64 on Nov. 15.
The Horned Frogs were in desperate need of a win over a legitimate opponent and found a way to get it done, even as the game seemed to be slipping away in the second half.
Wenzel comes up clutch
With TCU on the verge of letting another game slip away, Wenzel came up with a number of huge baskets. Wenzel came off the bench for the first time this season as TCU coach Jamie Dixon shuffled up TCU’s lineup. Wenzel responded by scoring 15 points.
After Xavier used a 9-0 run to take a 60-54 lead with 7:28 remaining, Wenzel got aggressive. He cut the deficit to two points with two straight strong drives to the basket, and then Frankie Collins tied the game with a baseline layup. After the teams exchanged buckets, Wenzel knocked down a big 3-pointer when Vasean Allette found a trailing Wenzel on the fast break.
Wenzel scored nine of his 15 points in the final 7:03 of the game.
“It’s all about momentum. It’s a game of runs,” Wenzel said. “We started going on a run there, everybody was bringing energy, the fans were bringing energy. Whenever things go like that, shots just fall.”
Robinson’s breakout moment
Talented freshman Micah Robinson has been productive all season for TCU, but on Thursday he took his game to another level and showed why he’s one of the most decorated recruits to ever sign with TCU. Robinson led the Horned Frogs in the first half with 10 points, showing off his scoring potential.
Robinson knocked down two 3-pointers and had another strong bucket when he used a Eurostep in getting around 6-foot-9 Zach Freemantle at the rim. The 10 points were a career-high for the former four-star recruit. Xavier did a better job of guarding Robinson in the second half, but the freshman played just five minutes as TCU relied on its more experienced wings. Despite limited minutes in the second half, Dixon continues to be pleased with the growth of the talented freshman.
“We need some shooting and you have to play your best shooters,” Dixon said. “He’s one of our best shooters.”
Lineup change
The Horned Frogs had to adjust their starting lineup as starting shooting guard Noah Reynolds was unavailable for Thursday’s game. TCU started Allette at guard along with Collins while also inserting freshman forward David Punch into the lineup with Udeh and White.
The new lineup helped energize the Horned Frogs. TCU jumped out to a 8-2 lead over the Musketeers.
TCU’s 3-point shooting and defense were the keys in the Horned Frogs maintaining control throughout the first half. At one point Xavier cut the deficit to 9-7, but TCU responded with a quick 8-2 run as Robinson and White knocked down back-to-back 3s.
The Horned Frogs maintained an 8- to 10-point lead the rest of the half. Collins had a pair of highlight moments at the end of the half. His first came when he grabbed a loose ball, spun between two defenders and threw up a lob to Udeh for an alley-oop slam dunk.
Collins scored the final points of the half on TCU’s next possession as he battled through contact for an impressive finish at the rim. TCU led Xavier 37-29 at halftime after playing some of its best basketball of the season.
This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 9:39 PM.
