West Virginia, TCU bid to bounce back from losses

Field Level Media|published: Sun 11th February, 13:12 2024

Iowa State Cyclones forward Hason Ward (24) takes a shot around TCU Horned Frogs forward Emanuel Miller (2) during the first half in the Big-12 conference showdown of a NCAA college basketball at Hilton Coliseum on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. credits: Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

After absorbing consecutive defeats for just the second time this season, TCU will return home Monday night to face West Virginia at Fort Worth, Texas.

TCU (16-7, 5-5 Big 12) followed a 77-66 home loss to Texas last weekend with a 71-59 setback at No. 14 Iowa State on Saturday. It was the Horned Frogs' second-largest loss of the season and the second defeat to the Cyclones in three weeks.

The Horned Frogs scored only 22 points in the first half Saturday and trailed by double digits over the final six minutes of the game despite shooting 57.7 percent from the field in the second half. TCU was just 8 of 16 from the free-throw line in the game.

"Credit to Iowa State. They outplayed us, they were more physical than us, they pushed us all over the place," TCU coach Jamie Dixon said after his team trailed by 10 points less than nine minutes into the game. "(We) put ourselves in a deep hole against a good team."

Emanuel Miller had 18 points for TCU, giving him 11 consecutive games in double figures in scoring. JaKobe Coles had 14 points, his most in a Big 12 game this season.

The Mountaineers (8-15, 3-7) have lost two consecutive games and four of their past five. They were crushed 94-58 on the road against Texas on Saturday, when they shot 29 percent from the field in the second half and 38.2 percent for the game.

Jesse Edwards scored 17 points for West Virginia on 7-of-9 shooting, while Noah Farrakhan added 11 points. The Mountaineers fell to 0-9 in away and neutral-site games.

RaeQuan Battle, who leads the Mountaineers with an average of 15.2 points per game, had 10 points for West Virginia on 4-of-12 shooting from the field.

"We have to learn quick but flush this," West Virginia interim coach Josh Eilert said. "TCU is No. 1 in the country in fast-break points, and they get downhill. They really turn people over, and Texas is not a team that turns people over. If we're loose with that ball, it could be very ugly in Fort Worth."

—Field Level Media