Allette’s last-second miracle 3-point shot lifts TCU over Oklahoma State
Vasean Allette’s heroic 3-point shot with .4 seconds remaining helped Texas Christian University avoid a second-half collapse in a dramatic 73-72 win over Oklahoma State on Wednesday night at Schollmaier Arena.
“How about that ending?” head coach Jamie Dixon said after the win. “I liked how we started the game, we finally got off to a good start. We don’t seem to be able to sustain and they got back in it. We got a lot of work to do, but there’s certainly a reason we practice these last second plays.”
TCU (13-11, 6-7) led for over 39 minutes until the Horned Frogs began to crumble in the final minutes. TCU led 70-67 with 1:04 remaining, but allowed the Cowboys to cut it to one after giving up two offensive rebounds on a missed free throw.
Then the Horned Frogs threw a careless pass on the inbound that led to a wide-open Oklahoma State dunk. The Cowboys took their first lead of the night, 71-70, with just 18 seconds remaining. After TCU missed multiple shots at the rim on the next possession, much of the home crowd began to exit as the game appeared over.
However, the Cowboys only made one of their two free-throw attempts, which left the door open for Allette. TCU chunked the inbound pass to half court and Allette was able to secure the ball off a deflection. Without hesitation, he let the shot fly and delivered in the clutch.
“I told Jace it it was the last option just whip it,” Allette said. “I told him I’m not going to let anybody take the ball from me. I kind of saw the ball was going to hit off Micah’s hand so I just waited for it and then I don’t know, it just touched my hand and I shot it. Y’all saw what happened.”
Allette finished with a team-high 16 points along with seven assists and six rebounds.
The Horned Frogs led by as many as 10 points in the second half despite starting center Ernest Udeh playing just nine minutes. TCU also got big contributions from freshmen Micah Robinson, Jace Posey and Malick Diallo.
Diallo set new season highs in minutes (23) and points (10) as he battled against the older Oklahoma State frontcourt. Diallo had his share of struggles working his way back from an injury and adjusting to high-level college basketball, but he’s been arguably the most improved player on the roster and he kept TCU competitive in the paint despite Udeh and David Punch dealing with foul trouble.
“It was a long process, I’ve been working out for those days,” Diallo said. “I knew this moment was going to come, so today was one of those games. I was just glad I could be there for my teammates and help us get a win.”
Micah Robinson scored 10 of his season-high 13 points in the second half, including a trio of 3-pointers from the corner. Posey played over 16 minutes for the third straight game and showed his versatility on both sides of the court.
He came up with two key defensive stops in the second half, including a steal. In the first, Posey showed his growing confidence as a scorer, knocking down a turnaround jumper in the post and a nice reverse up-and-under layup.
The performances of the young players would’ve been overshadowed by blowing a 10-point lead in the second half, but TCU overcame its self-inflicted wounds to survive.
The win doesn’t help much with TCU’s NCAA Tournament resume or chances, but the Horned Frogs are one game away from being .500 in conference play.
“I don’t know the exact standings, but I know there are these teams that are up (at the top),” Dixon said. “Then we’re in that next tier. We just keep battling, we’re not perfect. We have five freshmen out there, no one else does, but we’re going to keep battling and try to get better and get ready for Arizona State.”
The Horned Frogs will face the Sun Devils on the road in Tempe at 7 p.m. Saturday.
This story was originally published February 12, 2025 at 8:51 PM.
