Nembhard's Game-Winner Lifts TCU to 77-76 Win at OSU

Wednesday, December 16

Stillwater, Okla.

6 p.m.

TCU

6-2,1-1Big 12

Oklahoma State

6-1,0-1Big 12

TCU

Oklahoma St.

Nembhard's Game-Winner Lifts TCU to 77-76 Win at OSU

12/16/2020 9:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Frogs close game on 9-0 run over final 2:03

STILLWATER, Okla. – Junior guard RJ Nembhard scored a game-high 21 points and delivered the game-winning score with 7.6 seconds left on the clock as TCU topped Oklahoma State 77-76 Wednesday at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Kevin Samuel scored a season-high 18 points, grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and tallied a career-high seven blocked shots. Mike Miles and Taryn Todd also scored in double-figures, marking the first time this season that TCU (6-2, 1-1 Big 12) has had at least four players score at least 10 points. Cade Cunningham led Oklahoma State (6-1, 1-1 Big 12) with 17 points.

The game remained close over the first nine minutes, but TCU went on a 14-2 run over a span of three minutes to take a 27-18 lead with 8:05 remaining in the first half. The Frogs stretched their lead to as many as 13, but the Cowboys closed the first half on a 10-2 run to cut TCU's lead to 37-32 at the break. Samuel led TCU at the half with 11 points, five rebounds and a pair of blocks, and Nembhard scored or assisted on 19 of TCU's 37 first half points.

TCU turned it over 10 times over the first 13 minutes of the second half, and Oklahoma State retook the lead, 61-55 with 7:29 remaining. The Cowboys stretched their lead to as many as eight with 2:21 remaining, but the Frogs stormed back with a 9-0 run, capped by a Nembhard jumper, to take a 77-76 lead with 7.6 seconds remaining. Oklahoma State's Cunningham missed a heavily contested shot in the final seconds, and the Frogs held on to win their first road game in their first opportunity of the season.

Up Next
TCU will host North Dakota State (2-5) on Dec. 22 at 8 p.m. on ESPNU.

Team Notes
- The contest was TCU's first true road game of the season.
- TCU has now won six of its last eight meetings with Oklahoma State to move to 10-27 against the Cowboys all-time.
- The Frogs improved to 3-13 against the Cowboys in Stillwater.
- The Horned Frogs are 46-9 in November and December in five seasons under Jamie Dixon.
- TCU totaled nine blocked shots, its most blocks in a game since Feb. 8, 2020 against Kansas.
- The Frogs lost the turnover battle 20-15 but are 3-1 this season when surrendering more turnovers than the opponent.
- The game marked the first time TCU won a game despite committing at least 20 turnovers since Jan. 30, 2018 at Oklahoma State.
- TCU had at least four players score in double-figures for the first time this season.
- TCU's offense shot 30-of-55 from the floor, 54.5 percent. The Horned Frogs shot over a 50 percent from the field for the third consecutive game for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
- The Horned Frogs shot 47.1 percent on 3-pointers, a team-best for the season.
- Conversely, the Frogs held the Cowboys to just 17.6 shooting from 3-point range. It was the lowest opponent 3-point field goal percentage by an opponent since West Virginia shot 11.8 percent on Feb. 22, 2020.
- The Frogs started with the lineup of Mike Miles, PJ Fuller, RJ Nembhard, Kevin Easley Jr. and Kevin Samuel for the first time this season. It was their sixth different starting lineup.

Individual Notes
- The contest marked Jamie Dixon's 600th game as a head coach.
- RJ Nembhard scored a game-high 21 points on 9-of-15 (60 percent) shooting. It was his sixth consecutive game in double-figures and third consecutive contest leading the Frogs in points.
- Nembhard played all 40 minutes for the first time in his career. The last Frog to do so was Desmond Bane in the first round of the Big 12 Championship last season against Kansas State.
- Nembhard recorded a team-high four assists.
- Nembhard scored the go-ahead basket for TCU on a jumper with 7.6 seconds remaining. It was his second-career go-ahead basket in the final 10 seconds of a contest, last occurring against UC Irvine on Nov. 21, 2020.
- Kevin Samuel set a career-high with seven blocks. He has had multiple blocks in five straight games.
- Samuel's seven blocks were the most by a Horned Frog since Derrick Davenport blocked nine shots against Texas Tech on Dec. 28, 2000.
- Samuel also scored a season-high 18 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
- Freshman Mike Miles scored 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 shooting from the free throw line. Miles has now scored in double-figures in four consecutive games and six of eight games overall this season.
- Redshirt freshman Taryn Todd recorded season highs with 10 points, four field goals (on seven attempts) and four rebounds.
- Chuck O'Bannon Jr. recorded a career-high three steals off the bench.
- Kevin Easley Jr. grabbed six rebounds and recorded his second blocked shot of the season in 17 minutes of action.