TCU Men’s Basketball: Frogs Bounce Back And Knock Off No. 11 Kansas State
Saturday, Jamie Dixon and No. 17 TCU took on No. 11 Kansas State at the Schollmaier Arena. Following back-to-back defeats against Iowa State and Texas, TCU earned a much-needed victory over the Wildcats.
The Frogs came out of the gates quick and fast, led by senior forward Emanuel Miller. Leading the Frogs early, Miller scored a career-high 23 points and posted eight rebounds and four assists.
Working the wings and shooting 52% from the field, Miller found himself in double-figures for the 12th time this season. While Miller has been putting up big numbers on the scoring front, he believes it is credit to the team’s ability to trust on another.
Miller said, “My teammates have done a great job sharing the ball… We’ve just done a great job of trusting each other, moving the ball and getting great shots as a team.”
The Wildcats had no answer for the Frogs' quick-tempo, offensive style. Unable to contain Miller, Eddie Lampkin Jr. also had himself quite the performance. Doing the dirty work in the paint, Lampkin Jr. had 17 points and six rebounds.
Even while Lampkin Jr. made his presence felt on the court, he managed to get the Schollmaier to be its loudest this season. He said, “I know that if I’m turned up, [the fans] are gonna turn up.”
No match for Kansas State’s Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Lampkin Jr. pushed his way through traffic and dominated the inside game.
While the Frogs got out to a 14-point lead at halftime, they weren’t done yet. Damion Baugh and Mike Miles Jr. joined their teammates in double figures in scoring. Baugh and Miles Jr. putting up 11 points and 13 points, respectively, helped the Frogs cruise to a massive Big 12 victory. For Miles Jr., Saturday was his first-career double-double performance as he dished out 11 assists to go along with his 13 points.
While Miles Jr. was held to 13 points, he believes it proves the type of depth and talent this team has at its disposal. “It’s the same team, the difference is we’re all confident on offense and defense… And it shows, beating Kansas State, the number one team in our conference, how good of a team we are.”
Additionally, TCU played a phenomenal game on the defensive side of the ball, forcing 20 turnovers. Not just a top performance defensively, but also on the transition as the Frogs scored an incredible 26 points off turnovers.
After Saturday’s victory, TCU improved to 3-2 in the Big 12 and 14-3 overall, handing the Wildcats its first conference loss of the season. With a two-game road trip beginning Wednesday, the Frogs will begin preparations for West Virginia.
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