TCU
10-10, 2-6
San Diego State
15-7, 4-4
TCU falls in heartbreaker, 76-71, to San Diego State
1/31/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2007
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU Horned Frogs (10-10, 2-6) battled the San Diego State Aztecs (15-7, 4-4) to the wire Wednesday night at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum before falling by a 76-71 count to the defending Mountain West Conference champions.
San Diego State, the preseason league favorite, bolted out to an 11-2 lead in the game's first four minutes. However, the Frogs withstood the body blow and pulled within two, 28-26, with 6:07 remaining in the first half on a Neiman Owens jumper.
Owens, a junior guard, had 11 points in the first half to lead the Frogs' attack. Ryan Wall, who had been scoreless in the three previous games, drained a pair of 3-pointers en route to eight first-half points.
TCU scored the first seven points out of intermission to take its first lead of the game at 41-40. After the Frogs gained a 45-42 advantage following an Aztec technical foul, SDSU went on an 11-0 run and never relinquished the lead.
TCU stayed within striking distance, however, and a Brent Hackett 3-pointer from the corner cut the Aztec lead to just three, 74-71, with 18.3 seconds left. After a traveling violation on San Diego State, the Horned Frogs had life, but TCU turned it back over to SDSU. Kyle Spain iced the game with a pair of free throws with 7.5 seconds remaining.
TCU had four players in double figures for the first time in 10 games. Owens posted a career-high 16 points to match Wall for top honors. Kevin Langford recorded 12 to reach double figures for the 10th time in 11 games, while Hackett added 10. Langford was one rebound shy of his second career double-double.
TCU out-rebounded San Diego State 43-33, but committed 18 turnovers to the Aztecs' 11. Brandon Heath, the school's all-time leading scorer, had his first career double-double for San Diego State with 22 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
The Horned Frogs are next in action at home Saturday at 7 p.m. (CT) against Utah. The Frogs are looking for the season sweep of the Utes.
--www.GoFrogs.com--
