SAN DIEGO — The drought is over.
TCU basketball won its first NCAA Tournament game this century, ending what had become a 35-year drought between March Madness victories.
And the Horned Frogs left little doubt in the process. TCU showcased its athleticism in running past Seton Hall 69-42 on Friday night at Viejas Arena.
It’s the Frogs first victory in March Madness since knocking off Marshall in 1987. TCU coach Jamie Dixon was a player on that ‘87 team.
TCU (21-12) advances to the second-round where it’ll face 1-seed Arizona on Sunday with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. The winner will advance to the South Regional in San Antonio next week.
The Frogs are 2-0 all-time against the Wildcats, but the last meeting came in December of 1952. For now, though, the Frogs will enjoy their victory that pushed the Big 12 to a perfect 6-0 on the opening weekend.
TCU used a 10-0 run to build a cushion midway through the first half, taking a 22-11 lead with five minutes left. The Frogs led 30-21 by halftime and were in good position considering Seton Hall’s top players Jared Rhoden and Ike Obiagu both picked up three fouls in the opening half.
TCU pulled away in the second half. The Frogs led by as many as 25 points, 56-31, following a fast-break dunk by Micah Peavy with 9:50 left.
It was a dominant performance for a TCU team that appears to be peaking at the right time.
The Frogs defeated three ranked teams in the last three weeks (Texas Tech, Kansas and Texas) and will be eyeing a fourth in Arizona. Seton Hall (21-11), meanwhile, battled foul trouble all night and never found an offensive rhythm.
Rhoden, the Pirates’ leading scorer, fouled out with 12:55 left in the game. Rhoden finished with a season-low five points after entering the game averaging 15.9 points per game.
