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If the first half of tonight's 53-49 TCU win over the Bradley Braves was ugly, I'm not sure how one would describe the second half.
Despite shooting just 40.0% in the first 20 minutes, the Frogs took advantage of a 6:14 Bradley scoring drought to build a 30-21 halftime lead that proved to be the difference in tonight's game. After a cold start from the field, JD Miller came off the TCU bench and scored nine quick points, fueling a mini-run for the Frogs that gave them a lead that would not be relinquished. Michael Williams was the only other bright spot in the first frame, adding another nine points, including a big three that put TCU up nine at the break.
The Frogs would tack on just 23 second half points, with 14 of those coming at the free throw line. TCU failed to score a field goal for the last 7:46 of the game, holding the Braves off with some late clutch free throws. Chauncey Collins led the charge at the line, going 9/14 en route to scoring a team-high 14 points in the game. He also finished with a team-high eight rebounds. Mike Williams finished with 10 points while Vladimir Brodziansky added another 10 points and four rebounds.
As a team, TCU shot just 29.8% from the field, including 4/17 from behind the arc. Despite winning the game with late free throws, the Frogs were dismal at the charity stripe, finishing the game 21/40 overall. TCU also committed 14 turnovers and 19 personal fouls in the contest.
If things were bad for the Frogs, they were worse for Bradley. The Braves, who fell to 2-11 on the year, turned the ball over 23 times and committed a season-high 37 personal fouls. BU shot 35.6% from the field, including just 5/21 from deep. Freshman Luuk van Bree led the charge for Bradley, scoring 19 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Ronnie Suggs came off the bench to tack on 12 points.
The victory moves TCU to 7-4 on the year and pushes the team's winning streak to a season-high three games. The Frogs also improved to 5-2 in non-conference road games under Trent Johnson. After a short break for Christmas, TCU will return to the court on Monday to face the 0-12 Delaware State Hornets.