Despite struggling from the free throw line, TCU men’s basketball held off Texas State, 76-71.
Noah Reynolds led all Horned Frogs with 17 points on efficient 6-of-7 shooting, while Trazarien White contributed 16 points in a game that saw TCU’s defense struggle to contain the Bobcats’ penetration.
tough buckets all night 💪 pic.twitter.com/rbEqjN1zG1
— TCU Men’s Basketball (@TCUBasketball) November 13, 2024
“Defensively, I was disappointed,” head coach Jamie Dixon said. “We had 19 layups [allowed] by our count. Our goal is five. We simply didn’t get it done in that area.”
The Horned Frogs started off with an early 7-0 lead but couldn’t maintain the momentum as Texas State’s physical play disrupted TCU’s rhythm. The Bobcats took a 37-35 lead into halftime, powered by their stellar free throw shooting. They ended shooting 18-of-21 from the line.
TCU’s struggles from the free throw line nearly proved costly. The Frogs missed 17 free throws, going just 15-of-32 for the game while battling foul trouble. Both teams combined for 43 personal fouls.
“At the end of the day, we gotta make free throws,” Frankie Collins said. “That’s how we close the game out. And that’s the reason why this game was kind of close to how it was, because we didn’t make free throws.”
Collins, who finished with 13 points and six assists, helped spark TCU’s transition offense that proved crucial in the second half. The Horned Frogs scored 25 fast-break points, using their depth to wear down a Texas State team that played just seven players.
“It allows you to play so simple,” Reynolds said of TCU’s transition game. “With our depth and the way we run and the way that we want to defend, we should run teams that are playing seven, six guys – just run them to death.”
With starting center Ernest Udeh Jr. in foul trouble, freshman David Punch played valuable minutes off the bench.
“Punch was huge. He’s been huge since I got here in the summer,” Reynolds said. “All of our freshmen are head and toes above where I was from a work standpoint. They get it. They’re in there every day, putting in extra work, watching extra film. They’re truly pros.”
Dixon said he wasn’t surprised by the Bobcats’ strong showing. “Texas State gave us, gave me everything we thought we’d get,” said Dixon. “I mean, they’re an old team, they’re experienced, they’re well coached, they’re tough, they’re physical and they’re confident they had two blowout wins.”
Texas State’s Tylan Pope led the Bobcats with 17 points, while Dylan Dawson added 15 points including four three-pointers.
The Horned Frogs face a quick turnaround as they travel to Ann Arbor to face Michigan on Friday. Collins, who spent his freshman season with the Wolverines, emphasized the team’s approach to the hostile environment.
“It’s more so about us,” Collins said. “I don’t think it’s a lot about them. I think we need to go in there and just do what we do, just like how we do when we play here. Be solid, defensively, play in transition, and just play together, be unselfish.”
