Enough for NCAA bid? How TCU beat Oklahoma in its Big 12 conference tournament opener

With its NCAA Tournament hopes hanging in the balance, TCU responded with a 77-70 win over Oklahoma in the second round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday.

“We got off to a good start, I wish we could’ve sustained it for 40 minutes, but they’re a team that’s fighting,” coach Jamie Dixon said. “They’re very good, very good offensively. They stretched us offensively with their pick and pops, but our offense was good. We played through Eman a lot. We did some really good things and beat a really good team with a high NET.”

The Horned Frogs trailed for less than 60 seconds as TCU took a commanding double-digit lead early in the first half as a 7-0 run put TCU ahead 21-9 with just over 14 minutes remaining until halftime.

The Sooners were without several key players, but it was clear the Horned Frogs came out ready to play after suffering a setback to UCF in the season finale. That loss to the Knights had the Horned Frogs squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble with ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi basically saying TCU needed to win Wednesday to feel good about getting into the big dance. The NCAA field will be announced on Sunday.

Despite leading by double digits most of the game, it wouldn’t be a Horned Frogs game without a little drama as Oklahoma mounted a desperate comeback in the final five minutes.

After the Sooners cut a 19-point deficit to 75-68 with 1:05 remaining, Jameer Nelson stepped up and hit two free throws to ice the game with 57 seconds remaining. Miller blocked Oklahoma’s 3-point attempt on the next possession to finally end the comeback.

“We should’ve been better down the stretch,” Dixon said. “Our lead got up to 19, but what’s why we’re not the No. 1 team in the country or top-10. We’re just a team that doesn’t seem to sustain all the time, but we showed some good things in the first 20 minutes and the first five minutes of the second half.”

The Horned Frogs will face top-seeded Houston in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament at 2 p.m. Thursday. TCU defeated the Cougars 68-67 on Jan. 13.

Miller time

After the defeat to UCF, Emanuel Miller said TCU had to be ready for a fight against Oklahoma. He knew what was at stake and played like it with one of his best games of the season. After scoring 13 points in the first half, Miller was just as effective in the second.

At one point Miller made eight shots in a row, including four in the second half as he attacked Oklahoma in a variety of ways. He was dominant in the post, continuing to go at the Sooners’ frontline at will. It wasn’t just his scoring prowess either as Miller had a complete game with eight rebounds and four assists. On one of those assists Miller made a tough touch pass to JaKobe Coles in transition over the out-stretched arms of a Oklahoma defender that led to a bucket to put TCU ahead 55-37.

“When someone is hot, I want them to get the ball,” Coles said. “Eman had the hot hand today and we play really well together in the high low and I just trust him every time and he trusts me. That’s why we’ve been so successful.”

Miller clearly loves the matchup with the Sooners as his 26 points were the most he’s scored a in game since he dropped 27 against Oklahoma in the Horned Frogs’ 80-71 win at Schollmaier Arena on Jan. 10.

New lineup

Seeking a change for the disappointing defeat to UCF, the Horned Frogs inserted Chuck O’Bannon into the starting lineup along with Miller, Udeh, Jameer Nelson and Micah Peavy. O’Bannon continued his trend of rising to the occasion in March as he scored the first six points for TCU.

O’Bannon knocked down his first 3-point attempt and then airballed the second, but he didn’t allow it to shake his confidence. The Horned Frogs came right back to O’Bannon on the next trip down and he hit his second 3 from the right side corner to put TCU ahead 6-1.

“We started Chuck today and I thought he played really well,” Dixon said. “His numbers won’t pop out at you (seven points, one assist), but he had no turnovers. We’re looking for guys that don’t turn it over, that guard and don’t make mistakes defensively. He’s done the best job at that the last couple days.”

After his initial surge, it was Miller and Peavy who carried the offensive load. Miller, a second-team All-Big 12 selection, scored 13 points in the opening 20 minutes including a 3-pointer, but he did most of his work in the post. There was a stretch where Miller scored two straight baskets out of the post and then drew a foul on his third attempt. He made both free throws to put TCU ahead 35-23.

Peavy had eight points in the first half and also one of the plays of the season. With just over three seconds remaining before halftime Peavy’s inbound pass was picked by Jalon Moore, but Moore turned it right back over before he could get off his last second shot. The ball ended up back in Peavy’s hands and he launched a shot from the opposite 3-point line right before the buzzer. The improbable shot hit the glass and rolled on the rim before finally going through the net.

His shot gave TCU to a 45-31 halftime advantage.

Wounded Sooners

The stakes were extremely high for this game, but some of the drama was lessened with the Sooners dealing with a number of injuries. Leading scorer Javian McCollum was ruled out of the game before tip-off and the Sooners were also without their skilled big man John Hugley and Rivaldo Soares, their fourth-leading scorer.

The trio combined for 31.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and six assists a game for the Sooners this season. But that doesn’t take away from TCU’s victory as the Horned Frogs had to handle their business regardless of the circumstances. Behind Miller’s leadership the Horned Frogs were able to avoid another crushing defeat.