Frogs Roll Over Cardinals, 79-50

Saturday, December 14

Fort Worth, Texas

2 p.m.

TCU

8-2,0-0Big 12

Lamar

6-5,0-0Southland

Team	1	2	F
Lamar University	19	31	50
TCU	41	38	79

Frogs Roll Over Cardinals, 79-50

12/14/2019 4:48:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Press Conference Photo Gallery

Fuller explodes for a career-high 17 points

FORT WORTH – Freshman guard PJ Fuller scored a game and career-high 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting as the TCU men's basketball team defeated Lamar 79-50 Saturday afternoon inside Schollmaier Arena.

Senior guard Edric Dennis scored 14 points, including 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range. RJ Nembhard finished just shy of a triple-double with 13 points, seven rebounds and a career-high nine assists. Kevin Samuel picked up his sixth double-double of the season as he scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Following a back-and-forth first eight minutes of action, TCU (8-2) outscored Lamar (6-5) 29-5 over the final 11:54 of the first half to take a 41-19 lead at halftime. Defensively, the Horned Frogs held the Cardinals to 28 percent shooting in the first half and 33.3 percent for the game.

The offense continued to roll in the second half as 10 different players scored. The Frogs also shot 44.8 percent (13-of-29) from beyond-the-arc as a team. They closed out the game, holding Lamar scoreless in the final four and a half minutes.

Up Next
TCU will host No. 23 ranked Xavier (9-1) on Sunday, Dec. 22 at 4 p.m. The game is part of the inaugural Big East/Big 12 Battle and will be televised on ESPN2.

Team Notes
- The game was the first meeting between TCU and Lamar since Nov. 30, 2011 when TCU won 77-72 in Fort Worth.
- TCU moved to 10-2 all-time and 8-0 in Fort Worth against Lamar. Additionally, the Horned Frogs have now won the past four meetings with the Cardinals.
- TCU moved to 58-7 against Southland Conference opponents..
- The Horned Frogs moved to 19-4 in December games and 37-2 against nonconference opponents at Schollmaier Arena under Dixon.
- TCU's 22-point halftime advantage (41-19) was the first time it has led at halftime by 20 or more points since TCU led 48-28 at the half in its win over West Virginia, 98-67, Jan. 15, 2019.
- TCU recorded double-digit steals for the third consecutive game and seventh time this season with 10. The Frogs have had nine or more steals in all games but one.
- TCU out-shot Lamar 46.4 percent to 33.3 percent, moving to 7-1 this season and 67-14 under Dixon when out-shooting the opposition.
- The Horned Frogs also outrebounded their opponent, 44-35, and is now 6-1 this season and 65-19 in the Dixon era when doing so.
- TCU as a team was 2-of-2 from the free throw line, marking the first time since Jan. 14, 2017 against Iowa State that TCU defeated an opponent after making only two or fewer free throws.
- TCU started with the lineup of Edric Dennis, Desmond Bane, RJ Nembhard, Jaire Grayer and Kevin Samuel for the fourth consecutive game (3-1).
- TCU played on a Saturday and before 5 o'clock for the first time all season.

Individual Notes
- Freshman PJ Fuller scored a game-high and season-high 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including a 3-of-4 effort from beyond-the-arc, and dished out a season-high five assists.
- Fuller's seven field goals and three 3-pointers were also season-highs.
- Edric Dennis scored 14 points, all of which came in the first half, on 5-of-8 shooting from the field.
- Dennis was also 4-of-5 (80 percent) from 3-point range, marking the first time since Jan. 17, 2018 that a TCU player shot at least 80 percent from 3-point range (minimum five attempts) when JD Miller shot 5-of-6 (83.3 percent) from beyond-the-arc in a 96-73 win over Iowa State.
- Kevin Samuel scored 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting and hauled in 11 rebounds to record his 10th double-double of his career and sixth this season. TCU is now 7-3 when Samuel records a double-double.
- Defensively, Samuel recorded a career-high four steals but failed to record a block, ending a streak of 29 consecutive games with a blocked shot.
- RJ Nembhard scored 13 points and dished out a career-high nine assists and recorded three steals.
- Nembhard has now scored in double-figures in eight of his nine games played this season. He had seven double-figure games all of last season.
- Francisco Farabello recorded the first and second blocks of his career in the win.
- Desmond Bane recorded a steal for the 11th consecutive game dating back to last season.
- Owen Aschieris appeared in his fourth game of the season and made his first collegiate field goal, a three-pointer.