FORT WORTH — TCU’s men’s basketball team knocked off No.9 Oklahoma 80-71 to earn its first Big 12 win of the 2023-24 season on Wednesday night at Schollmaier Arena.
The Horned Frogs used a late first-half run to take the lead and answered every Oklahoma threat in the second half thanks to its timely three-point shooting and turnovers created by its aggressive defense.
The teams would go back and forth most of the first half, each going on significant scoring runs but neither sustaining a large lead. TCU went on a 6-0 run to take a 27-22 lead, punctuated by a Jameer Nelson Jr. dunk that forced an Oklahoma timeout. Oklahoma responded with a 10-2 run of its own to reclaim a three-point cushion, but Chuck O’Bannon Jr.’s four-point play ignited an 11-2 burst for TCU, which ended the half with a 40-34 lead.
TCU withstood a barrage of Oklahoma three-pointers that quickly tied the game at 40 to start the second half and rebuilt a substantial lead that it held for the rest of the game.
John Hugley IV tried to keep Oklahoma in the game with 10 of his 14 total points in the second half as the Sooners crawled within five, but TCU answered each run with three-pointers from Emanuel Miller and Avery Anderson, and its defense came away with some crucial stops in the game’s late stages.
Oklahoma refused to give in, knocking down three late shots from behind the arc and creating some turnovers, yet TCU hung on for the nine-point win.
Miller led all scorers with 27 points, while Anderson, Nelson, and O’Bannon scored in double figures for TCU. Javian McCollum led Oklahoma with 17 points, and Milos Uzan added 13 points with a game-high 10 assists.
***
WHAT TO KNOW
— TCU earned its first Big 12 win of the season with an 80-71 win over No.9 Oklahoma in Fort Worth on Wednesday night.
— The Horned Frogs are now 8-0 at home this season, and it was their first win over a ranked opponent.
— Miller became the 40th player in TCU history to score 1,000 career points and the seventh under current head coach Jamie Dixon.
— Oklahoma was the second of three consecutive top-10 opponents TCU faces to open Big 12 play. The Horned Frogs lost a close one on the road to Kansas over the weekend and will welcome No.2 Houston to Fort Worth on Saturday.
***
BY THE NUMBERS
— Anderson was a catalyst for TCU in the second half, scoring 13 points on 5-7 shooting after an 0-8 first half that saw him score just two free throws.
— Oklahoma made eight of its first 10 shots but finished shooting 44.8% for the game.
— TCU scored 25 points off 14 turnovers, while Oklahoma scored just 11 off seven turnovers.
***
WHO SAID
— Miller on reaching 1,000 career points: “I’m just blessed. I’m blessed to have such a great supporting cast. I’m blessed to be present in this moment, and I’m just blessed that the whole TCU community cheered me on as I scored my 1,000th point here. Ever since I came here, my heart turned purple, and I’m just beyond thankful to be here.”
— Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser on TCU’s defense and playing style: “They played so hard, and they just keep coming at you, and I thought Miller was outstanding. We’ve got to play better if we’re going to win that game against TCU.”
***
NEXT UP
— TCU (12-3, 1-1 in the Big 12) hosts No.2 Houston (14-1, 1-1) at 5 p.m. CT at Schollmaier Arena on Saturday.
