TCU pulled away late in the second half to defeat the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles 67-51 on Friday at home, improving to 2-0 despite early offensive struggles.
“I liked how we defended down the stretch in the last 20 minutes, 15 or so…” TCU head coach Jamie Dixon said. “That’s what allowed us to pull away.”
After a tight first half that saw FGCU briefly lead by as many as five points, the Horned Frogs made a decisive 16-2 run over a three-minute stretch late in the second half to secure the win.
Freshman Vasean Allette led TCU scoring with 14 points, providing a critical spark off the bench when Dixon sent him in with just over seven minutes remaining. Forward Trazarien White added nine points on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting, while Micah Robinson contributed nine points in crucial late-game minutes.
TCU struggled with ball control early, committing eight turnovers in the first half and trailing for nearly six minutes before taking a narrow 30-29 lead into halftime. The Horned Frogs faced additional challenges when FGCU switched defensive schemes in the second half.
“The second half, they changed their defense a little bit, first time we’ve seen that,” Dixon said. “So that slowed us down a little bit… We adjusted to it, but I don’t think we adjust well enough to it.”
“We gotta work on moving the ball a little more,” said TCU guard Brendan Wenzel, who finished with eight points and a team-high of nine rebounds.
Keeshawn Kellman led FGCU with 18 points on 9-of-11 shooting, but the Eagles shot just 24% from three-point range and committed 15 turnovers. The Eagles’ offensive struggles were particularly evident in the second half as TCU’s defensive intensity increased.
The Horned Frogs dominated the glass, out-rebounding FGCU 38-24, with Ernest Udeh Jr. collecting seven rebounds and recording a career-high of four assists to go along with three blocks. His performance on both ends of the floor proved crucial to TCU’s second-half surge.
a 16-3 run to extend the lead
TCU 63 – FGCU 51 | 2:58 2H pic.twitter.com/Z3d8Ye5QF2
— TCU Men’s Basketball (@TCUBasketball) November 9, 2024
Allette credited the team’s “keep shooting mentality” in helping TCU overcome its early offensive struggles. The Horned Frogs shot 50% from the field in the second half after shooting just 41% in the opening period, with several key three-pointers from Wenzel, Allette and Robinson to extend their lead late in the game.
Up next
TCU will host Texas State on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
