Frogs lose to Houston, hit record low
By Joi Harris
Skiff Staff

The men’s basketball team (7-12, 1-6 Conference USA) delivered a record-breaking performance in a 61-52 loss to conference rival Houston (6-11, 4-2 C-USA) Saturday.

Although the Frogs managed to end the game down by only five points, it’s safe to say the team’s performance is something that they’d rather forget.

TCU went into Saturday’s game looking to snap a two-game losing streak. A slow start offensively proved that earning that win would not be an easy task. The Frogs put up and missed 15 consecutive shots before senior forward Jamal Brown knocked down two free throws to give the team its first points of the game with only 10:17 remaining in the first half. Sixteen seconds later a steal and dunk by Frogs senior guard Junior Blount gave the team its first field goal of the game.

Upset by the team’s shooting performance, Frogs head coach Neil Dougherty vowed that the team’s offensive performance Saturday would never be repeated.

“We will never shoot the ball that poorly again,” Dougherty said. “We just didn’t execute the offense that effectively.”

The Frogs clawed their way back into the game with few attempts at a second chance. Houston, led by senior forward Louis Truscott, pulled down every offensive rebound from the Frogs during the first six minutes of the game. Truscott ended the game with his ninth double-double of the season. He grabbed 21 rebounds, 13 of which came on the defensive end, and added 21 points.

“A lot of times (Saturday) I was just in the right place at the right time,” Truscott said.

The Frogs’ 19.4 percent field goal percentage on 6-of-31 shooting in the first half was the lowest first half field goal percentage in school history. The worst shooting half for TCU was in 1995 when the team shot 17 percent in the second half against Ohio State.

Houston’s zone defense can be credited for much of TCU’s shooting problems. Dougherty said the Cougars played the “longest” zone that the Frogs have faced this season. Averaging just fewer than seven three pointers a game, TCU was forced to shoot 15 in just the first half. The team shot 39 of its 67 total field goals from behind the arc bettering the old mark set this season by nine.

For the first time in 147 games, the Frogs failed to score 60 points in a game. Cougar head coach Ray McCallum said the game’s outcome was a combination of effort and luck.

“Give our kids credit for (the win), and (TCU) for having an off night,” McCallum said.

Joi Harris
j.s.harris@tcu.edu