Heart & Hustle: Frogs fall to Iowa State 92-83

The destination was the same but the journey was different. For the first time in a long time, TCU put together a complete performance on the road, remaining within striking distance of a vastly superior Iowa State team throughout the evening. In the end, the Cyclones proved to be too much, as the 13th-ranked team in the nation captured a 92-83 victory on their home floor.

True freshman JD Miller recorded his first career double-double in his first career start, finishing the game with 19 points and 11 rebounds on a season-high 7/12 shooting night from the field. Three other Frogs joined Miller in double-figures, led by Malique Trent and his 17 points. Turnovers plagued the sophomore guard, as he was responsible for exactly half of the team's 14 giveaways.

Fellow sophomore guard Chauncey Collins had a solid shooting day, adding 16 points on a 5/10 performance from the field. Vladimir Brodziansky returned to the starting lineup, where he scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds despite playing much of the second half in foul trouble.

As a team, TCU had one of their best shooting nights of the entire season, finishing 28/68 overall, a respectable 41.2% from the field. The long ball kept things interesting as the Frogs used 11 made threes on 28 attempts to keep pace with the Cyclones. TCU also beat Iowa State on the boards 43-31, thanks to 20 offensive rebounds.

The Frogs' 83 points marked the most the team has scored in a regulation road game since dropping 85 against Texas Tech on January 6, 2009.

Across the court, Iowa State's starters scored all 92 points for Steve Prohm. Georges Niang led all scorers with 27 points on a ridiculous 11/15 performance from the field. Abdel Nader added 24 points while Deonte Burton knocked in another 23. Matt Thomas was the fourth and final Cyclone in double-figures, scoring 16 on the night.

Iowa State combined to shoot an impressive 54.2% from the field after connecting on 32 of their 59 shot attempts. The Cyclones also matched TCU's 11/28 mark from behind the arc.

Tonight's game began like so many before it. Iowa State jumped out to a 20-8 lead, forcing an early Trent Johnson timeout. From there, things changed. Brandon Parrish, Malique Trent, and Chauncey Collins teamed up to score nine quick points, suddenly cutting the deficit to three. The Frogs tied the game at 24 with about eight minutes to go in the first half, partly thanks to a span of nine missed shots in a row by the Cyclones.

A 20-12 run to close out the half gave ISU a 44-36 advantage at the break. After the first 20:00, TCU held a 23-18 advantage on the boards. The Frogs kept crashing the glass in the opening minutes of the second half, grabbing the first four rebounds of the frame, helping to cut the deficit to 44-40. A couple of defensive breakdowns and quick buckets later, the Cyclones had regained a 17-point lead. The Frogs would come fighting back once again, cutting the deficit to seven before Iowa State seized control over the final minutes, eventually securing the nine-point victory.

Despite the loss, TCU showed some positive signs of development as several key pieces of the future combined to keep things close tonight in Ames. With the defeat, the Frogs fall to 11-16 on the year and 2-12 in Big 12 play. The team returns to action on Tuesday night with a road contest against Texas Tech.