TCU
10-13 (1-7MWC)
Air Force
12-8 (3-4MWC)
Frogs Fall to Air Force in OT
1/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2011
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FORT WORTH—TCU led by as many as five points in overtime, but Air Force regrouped to pull out a 66-65 victory over the Horned Frogs Saturday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Guard Taylor Stewart made the winning points for the Falcons on a goaltending call with 11.8 seconds remaining.
The Frogs fell to 10-13 overall with the victory and 1-7 in Mountain West Conference play. Air Force improved to 12-8 overall and 3-4 in the MWC.
TCU scored the first five points in extra time on a layup by junior guard Hank Thorns and a 3-pointer by senior guard Greg Hill. A pair of free throws by sophomore forward Garlon Green with 1:59 put the Frogs up by four points, 65-61, but the shots would prove to be the squad's final points of the night.
Guard Derek Brooks hit a Falcon trey with 55.7 seconds remaining, then Stewart added the final margin after Green was called for slapping the ball against the glass on its way down with 11.8 to play.
TCU had one final chance on the ensuing possession, but Hill's layup attempt as time expired rattled out of the hoop.
Green led TCU with team highs of 16 points and nine rebounds, while freshman forward Amric Fields added 10 points and six boards. Hill, Thorns and sophomore forward Nikola Cerina totaled nine points each. Thorns matched a career high with 10 assists, marking his sixth game this season with double digits in helpers.
Brooks scored a game-high 18 points to lead Air Force. Guard Michael Lyons chipped in 15 points and a team-high six boards, while forward Tom Fow totaled 11 points.
It looked as if Air Force would earn the victory in regulation, moving ahead by five points on a Lyons basket with 2:16 remaining in regulation, but TCU was able to rally. Cerina cut the deficit to two points on an and-one play off a nice feed from Thorns with 1:50 left, then Green tied the game at 58-58 on a deep jumper at the 1:00 mark.
TCU led by as many as eight points earlier in the second half following a 14-5 run highlighted by six straight Frogs points by Cerina to end the spurt. Air Force responded by scoring 17 of the game's next 21 points. Two straight buckets by Lyons brought the Falcons even, while Brooks followed with his second 3-pointer and Taylor Stewart with a layup to give the squad a 56-51 edge with just over three minutes to play.
TCU led by as many as six points early in the contest on the heels of a 9-0 boosted by three straight layups from Cadot. Air Force tied the game at 16-16 with 6:17 remaining in the period following a 3-pointer by forward Zach Bohannon and a layup Lyons.
TCU went more than six minutes without a field goal until Hill banked in a 3-pointer at the 3:39 mark. Air Force scored the final eight points of the half, including a buzzer-beating trey by Fow, to move into the locker room up five, 29-24.
TCU honored the career and life of Dr. James Cash Jr. with a special halftime celebration during the game. Cash, who became the first African American basketball player to play in the Southwest Conference while lettering for the Frogs from 1967 through 1969, is one of 30 1,000-point scorers in program history. He still ranks fourth on the school's career rebounding list (856) and helped lead TCU to the 1968 SWC championship and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. Cash was recognized on the court alongside his wife and daughter, as well as TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini and Director of Athletics Chris Del Conte.
TCU begins the second half of its MWC schedule on the road next Saturday, when it faces No. 6 San Diego State at the Aztecs' Viejas Arena. Tip-off for the matchup, which will be broadcast by The MountainWest Sports Network (The Mtn.), is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT.
