TCU
6-0
Bradley
2-3
TCU Holds Off Bradley Friday, 57-49
11/28/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
"We didn't play very well, but found a way to win. You have to give Bradley credit. They are a good basketball team," said head coach Trent Johnson. "It was good to see us in a close game and find a way to win. It was a good learning situation for us because we haven't been in this type of game yet this year. I'm proud of our guys."
In a tight ballgame throughout the second half, the Horned Frogs, who outscored the Braves off the bench, 24-16, made enough plays down the stretch to move to 6-0 on the season for the first time since 1997-98. Williams did most of the damage, scoring seven of the Frogs' next nine points after the ballgame was tied at 44-44 with a little over 7 minutes remaining in the game. He also took a key charge late in the contest after Bradley had cut it to four.
On the night, Williams and senior Kyan Anderson were the lone Frogs in double-figures, scoring 10 points apiece, respectively. Chris Washburn rounded out the Purple and White notables, dropping nine points, five boards and two blocks.
Bradley (2-3) was carried by Auston Barnes' game-high 19 points on 5-of-12 from the floor. Warren Jones was the only other Brave in double-figures, scoring 10 points on 3-of-9 from the field.
With the win, TCU will continue play in Corpus Christi tomorrow with either St. Louis or Mississippi State at 6:00 p.m. CT. The contest will be shown live on CBS Sports Network.
The Frogs opened the second half, scoring the first four-points as both Hudson Price and Anderson found pay dirt to make it 35-24, but Bradley would continue to fight, pulling within 39-37 off a 13-4 run. Brandon Parrish would halt the run midway through the second period, floating in a jumper from the middle of the lane.
With the scoreboard at 41-39 under the 10-minute mark, the Braves buried a trey ball to take a one-point lead, but the Frogs forced a turnover on the next possession and then watched as Williams calmly stepped to the line and hit two-straight free throws to regain the Frog lead at 43-39.
Bradley would tie the game at 44-44, but Washburn found a cutting Williams down low to give TCU a two-point advantage at the 5:28 mark of the second half.
Two big free throws by Karviar Shepherd propelled the lead to 48-44. Williams then dropped a dagger, knocking down a triple from the corner to advance the lead to 51-44 with 3:58 left to go in the game.
"Kenrich had a huge three late in the game and he shot it with confidence, which was big for us," said Johnson.
Bradley would make it a 51-47 game off a triple of its own, but Williams would come up huge on the defensive end, drawing an offensive foul on Bradley with 1:48 left to go. The sophomore then exploded to the hole on the on offensive end of the court for a thunderous dunk, which made the scoreboard 53-47 down the stretch.
The Frogs were able to knock down some key free throws the rest of the way to move to 6-0 on the season.
The two teams opened the game going back and forth until Trey Zeigler drove around his defender and connected on a tough three-point play with 15:46 showing on the scoreboard to give TCU a 5-4 advantage. On the very next possession, Washburn banked in a jumper to propel the Frogs up by three, but Bradley continued to battle, pulling within one.
At the 13:18 mark of the opening stanza, Hudson Price dished the rock to Amric Field who promptly connected on a contested layup. Price continued to go to work a few moments later, tickling the twine from deep to give TCU a 12-6 lead.
With the scoreboard reading 19-14 in favor of the Purple and White midway through the first half, Bradley would climb back in at the charity stripe, pulling with four. Zeigler would put a halt to the run, finding a cutting Washburn at the 4:53 mark of the first half.
Fields then scored four-straight to further lengthen the Purple and White lead, which included burying a jumper over the outstretched arms of a Brave to give the Frogs a 25-16 advantage with a little over 3 minutes remaining in the half.
TCU was in the midst of a 10-1 run when Fields looped a pass through the Bradley defense to Washburn who scored on a contested layup down the stretch to give the Purple and White a 12-point lead.
Bradley would knife into the deficit, but the Frogs took a 31-24 lead into the break.
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