Men’s Basketball: Fast break scoring propels TCU past Mississippi Valley State

The TCU Horned Frogs improved to 4-0 with an 86-52 win over the Delta Devils. The Frogs scored a high of 43 fast break points during tonight’s matchup, almost doubling from last season.

TCU had a slow start until Chuck O’Bannon entered the game, igniting the Frogs with quick transition buckets. Head coach Jamie Dixon seemed pleased with the quick transition points saying he has never seen anything like it.

“That is a remarkable number and most of them came off of steals,” said Dixon. “It is something we have to continue taking advantage of and it is what we do well. We are the best in the country at it. Everybody wants that and we got it.”

Avery Anderson mentions that they capitalize on fast-break points because everyone on the team plays unselfishly.

“We have an unselfish groove,” said Anderson. “We already know that if there is someone ahead, we know we have to get it to them because everyone can make plays and finish around the rim. I think that is what makes the difference.”

Emanuel Miller paved the way finishing the night with 13 points, four rebounds and five assists. Jameer Nelson Jr. added 13 more with one rebound and two assists.

In tonight’s matchup, the Frogs accumulated 36 points off the bench. However, coach Dixon prefers not to use the term ‘bench players’ for this group, as any of them is capable of coming in and scoring.

“We got a bunch of scoring off the bench but I struggle calling it the bench. We can start any of the nine guys.”

Both teams struggled with inefficient shooting in the opening minutes of the game. However, TCU found their rhythm when veteran Chuck O’Bannon entered the game, boosting the pace and contributing to fast break buckets.

The Frogs exhibited strong defensive play, pressuring the Delta Devils into losing the ball on two consecutive plays. Avery Anderson and Micah Peavy capitalized on the turnovers, scoring two quick transition baskets, bringing the score to 18-25.

Despite TCU’s initial challenges in sinking shots behind the arc, they managed a 7-0 run over a 1:44 period with 7:37 left in the first half. MVS’s Donovan Sanders disrupted the run with a jumper, narrowing the Delta Devils’ deficit to 14 points, 20-34.

MSV scored once more before heading into the locker room, courtesy of a layup from Arecko Gipson, making it 24-37. Jameer Nelson Jr. led the team with 9 points and closed out the first half with a layup, putting TCU up 41-26 at halftime.

In the second half, Emanuel Miller had a good second half performance, scoring an additional six points and leading in assists with five. JaKobe Coles also made a significant impact by scoring two consecutive layups with the assistance of Micah Peavy, who secured two-straight defensive rebounds. Coles extended TCU’s lead to 66-35 with 8:40 on the clock.

Micah Peavy faced some foul trouble, receiving a technical foul and accumulating three fouls with 6:52 remaining. He rebounded with a three-pointer from the right key and assisted Ernest Udeh in a jumper, bringing the score to 75-38 with 4:47 on the clock.

TCU continued to add 11 more points to their final score, with contributions from O’Bannon, Trevian Tennyson and Avery Anderson III.

The Frogs, now 4-0, will prepare to take on Alcorn State, who are currently 1-3, on Tuesday night, tip-off is at 7 p.m. in the Schollmaier Arena.