TCU
11-6, 3-1
Colorado State
6-11, 0-3
TCU races past Colorado State
1/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 19, 2008
FORT WORTH, Colo.--The TCU men's basketball program improved its Mountain West Conference record to 3-1 and 11-6 overall as the Horned Frogs notched a 70-58 victory over Colorado State on Saturday (Jan. 19) at Moby Arena.Not only was the victory the first road win of the season for the Purple and White, but it was also the first time since the 2004-05 season that the Frogs have captured three consecutive triumphs in conference action.
It wasn't an easy victory for the Frogs as Colorado State jumped out to a quick 10-3 lead after Marcus Walker connected on a jumper at the 16:32 mark, but the Frogs went on a 9-2 run tie the score at 12-12 after Brent Hackett (Fort Worth, Texas/Southwest H.S.) connected on a jumper at the 10:52 mark.
With the scoreboard showing a back-and-forth affair, the Rams used a 14-0 rally towards the end of the first half to take the score from a 24-18 advantage for the Frogs to a 32-24 lead for CSU with 2:50 remaining in the frame. The Frogs were able to score the final seven points of the frame with Mike Scott (Philadelphia, Pa./Franklin Learning Center) connecting on a lay-in at the buzzer to cut the halftime deficit to one point at 32-31.
In the second half of action, the Frogs came out strong and built an eight-point advantage at 47-39 following a lay-in and free throw connection by TCU sophomore Jason Ebie (Houston, Texas/Elsik H.S.) with 13:50 remaining in the game. The Frogs used another eight-point advantage at the 9:49 mark when a three-pointer by Henry Salter (Gulfport, Miss./Mississippi Gulf Coast College) allowed TCU to take a 53-45 lead.
Salter finished with 17 points - including five three-pointers - to go along with four rebounds and two steals in 30 minutes of action. The TCU guard came into the contest ranked fourth in the nation in three-point field goal percentage and increased on his shooting from behind the arc following a 5-of-6 performance.
A pair of free throws by Walker allowed the Rams to get within one point at 55-54 with 6:17 remaining in the game, but the Frogs were able to maintain the advantage on the scoreboard and took the lead to double-digits following a key trey by Salter with 1:31 remaining in the game.
Walker led the Rams with 25 points, including 10-of-10 from the charity stripe, to go along with two assists, two rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes of action.
The Frogs connected on 8-of-9 free throws over the final four minutes of the game to seal the 70-58 victory at the Moby Arena.
Kevin Langford (Fort Worth, Texas/North Crowley H.S.) scored 12 points - all coming in the second half of action - while Ebie notched a career-high 12 points, including 6-of-7 from the charity stripe, and three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 25 minutes of court time.
The Frogs will be back in action on Saturday (Jan. 26) when the Purple and White travel to Salt Lake City for a match-up against the University of Utah with a 2:00 Central Time tip.
