Frogs Use Big 2nd Half to Bury Delaware State

Despite an 0-12 start in which the Delaware State Hornets had been losing by more than 20 points per game, the Hornets kept things close in the first half thanks to a hot-shooting performance from behind the arc. Delaware State hit five of their first six three pointers, knotting the game at 19 midway through the opening frame. Malique Trent would then knock in a deep ball to give the Frogs a 22-19 lead with 8:18 left in the half, before both teams hit the brakes.

TCU outscored Delaware State 4-1 over the final 8:18 of the first half to build a 26-20 lead at the break. The two teams combined to shoot 1/19 with nine turnovers in that span. Karviar Shepherd was the lone bright spot for the Frogs in the frame, pulling down 13 rebounds in the first 20 minutes of play. Shepherd also made the only basket during the final 8:18 of the half, a layup that ended a 6:01 scoring drought for TCU.

Whatever Trent Johnson said to his team in the locker room at the break worked. The Frogs would open the second half on a big 10-0 run to seize the game for good. Delaware State was done in by an 11:50 scoring drought in which TCU was able to open a 16-point lead. A later sequence in which Parrish and Brodziansky teamed up to hit three straight three pointers gave TCU a 30 point lead and put Delaware State away for good.

The Frogs would go on to outscore the Hornets 49-27 over the final 20 minutes, sealing a 75-47 win for TCU. The victory gave Trent Johnson's squad their fourth straight and improved the team's record to 8-4 with Big 12 play on the horizon.

Karviar Shepherd dominated the Hornets on both ends of the court tonight, finishing the game with a team-high 15 points and a career-high 19 rebounds. Chauncey Collins finished in double-figures for the second straight game, adding 12 points before fouling out with 4:07 to go. Malique Trent scored 12 points as well on 50% shooting from the field, including two big three pointers that helped TCU establish momentum and bury Delaware State.

Chris Washburn made his season debut tonight after missing the first 11 games with a hand injury. He finished with five points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals in limited minutes of play. However, he shot just 1/10 from the field, still wearing a small protective brace on his right hand.

As a team, TCU shot 41.7% from the field and dished out 17 assists on 25 made field goals. Three point shooting propelled the big second half run as the Frogs finished 6/11 in the frame and 9/22 overall. After a dismal night at the line against Bradley last Wednesday, TCU turned things around tonight, finishing 69.6% from the charity stripe.

The Hornets struggled to put together any coherent offense for much of the night. Delaware State finished the game shooting just 31.3% from the field, including 10/25 from behind the arc. Dana Raysor had a career night, finishing with 17 points, including four deep balls. Devin Morgan was the only other Hornet in double-figures, as he added another 11 points. The loss knocks Delaware State to 0-13 on the year.

Next up for TCU is a road date with the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday. The Frogs will look to start Big 12 Conference play with a strong performance against an OSU team that has struggled to start the season. Tipoff is set for 3:00 PM at Gallagher-Iba Arena.