Slow-starting and cold-shooting, TCU swamped in Big 12 road finale
Sometimes the ball doesn’t go down for TCU. Usually, it’s on the road.
TCU shot 33.3 percent for the second time in a Big 12 road game this year, falling 79-54 at Kansas State on Wednesday night.
The Frogs started 8-for-16 shooting but went 10 or 38 after that, leaving themselves no chance to pick up their first road victory in the league this year. They went winless in Big 12 road games for the third time in the four years they have been in the league.
“I just would have liked for us to have shot the ball better, and I would have liked for us to have had maybe one more man out there,” TCU coach Trent Johnson said. “I mean, I played Karviar Shepherd too long. He’s had some back problems. I had to play him.”
Shepherd started for the first time since Jan. 23 and finished with eight points, seven rebounds and an assist in 20 minutes.
I thought the guys kept fighting. They got frustrated, which they should have. But I mean, they kept fighting, they did a decent job.
TCU coach Trent Johnson
TCU’s leading scorers, Chauncey Collins and Malique Trent, combined to go 4 for 19. Neither made a 3-pointer.
But Kansas State sure did. Despite coming in as the worst 3-point shooting team in the Big 12, the Wildcats went 10 for 19. Barry Brown was 5 for 8, and Justin Edwards was 3 for 3.
“We didn’t do a good job of getting to shooters,” Johnson said. “I don’t know how many times that ball got turned, turned, turned, and we were late.”
K-State made its first nine shots, including four 3-pointers, to take a 22-12 lead. By halftime, it was 47-28, and nothing changed in the second half.
It was TCU’s fourth loss by 25 or more on the road this year. TCU lost by 25 points at Washington on Dec. 8, 28 points at Baylor on Jan. 13 and 31 points at West Virginia on Feb. 13.
On the road in conference this year, TCU averaged 37.5 percent shooting.
“I had concerns going in because we were a little fatigued,” Johnson said. “But I don’t want to take anything away from K-State. They played really well, they shot the ball really well. We had a hard time guarding them in man and zone.”
Brandon Parrish’s 3-pointer cut the K-State lead to 28-21 with 6:56 left in the first half. It was his only basket on a 1-for-4 night. TCU went 1 for 7 to close the half and never recovered.
Only Collins, with 11 points, finished in double figures for TCU.
“Any kid who’s on the offensive end, the ball doesn’t go down for him, it affects the way he plays,” Johnson said. “Always been the history of the game. Certain guys are different. But for us, I thought the guys kept fighting. They got frustrated, which they should have. But I mean, they kept fighting, they did a decent job. That’s shown by what you see in the box score. We got dominated on the glass by Baylor. Tonight we competed really really well.”
TCU (11-19, 2-15) is in last place by a game with one remaining. Unless they upset Oklahoma at home Saturday, the Frogs will likely be the No. 10 seed for the first round of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City next week. If they are No. 10, they are headed for a matchup with Texas Tech, a team they have been competitive against this year.
In neutral-site games, TCU is 1-1 this year. Last season, TCU won its first conference tournament game, beating K-State.
Carlos Mendez: 817-390-7760, @calexmendez
This story was originally published March 2, 2016 at 10:09 PM with the headline "Slow-starting and cold-shooting, TCU swamped in Big 12 road finale."