Kevin Samuel’s team-high 19 points and clutch free throw shooting helped lead the TCU men’s basketball team to a 67-60 victory in overtime over No. 17 West Virginia Saturday afternoon inside Schollmaier Arena.
The win marked the Horned Frogs’ (15-12, 6-8 Big 12) largest come-from-behind victory this season as they were down 10 points early to West Virginia (19-8, 7-7 Big 12). Samuel, who hails from Barbuda of the twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, was 7-of-7 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. The sophomore center also grabbed eight rebounds and blocked five shots.
TCU jumped out to an early 11-6 lead after Samuel blocked four shots in the first four minutes of the game, but the Mountaineers countered with an 11-0 run of their own. With 7:58 to play in the first half, the Frogs trailed 25-15. Using a pair of 6-0 and 8-0 runs, they managed to cut the halftime deficit to two points, 31-29, going into the locker room.
The Frogs opened up the final 20 minutes with four-straight made shots and led for the majority of the half. They led by as many as seven with 12:38 to play, but WVU clawed its way back into the game. On the Mountaineers’ final possession, with the game tied at 55, Desmond Bane grabbed the rebound and ran the length of the court, but his go-ahead layup was waived off with 0.9 seconds, on an offensive foul.
Jaire Grayer opened up the overtime period with a 3-pointer. The Frogs went on to outscore the Mountaineers 12-5, thanks to a 5-of-6 effort from the free throw line, in the extra five-minute period.
As a team, the Frogs shot 44.4 percent from the field and 81.3 percent from the free throw line. RJ Nembhard also contributed 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting. (gofrogs.com)