TCU basketball made history on Saturday afternoon.
The Horned Frogs had the best road victory in program history, knocking off No. 15 Iowa State, 59-44, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames.
It’s just the third road victory over a ranked team in TCU’s history, and the highest ranked upset yet. The Frogs also have ranked road victories over No. 17 Iowa State in February 2019, and No. 24 Hawaii in January 1998. They are now 3-93 against ranked opponents on the road.
More importantly, TCU (13-3, 3-2 Big 12) picked up a much-needed road victory after falling apart in the final minutes at Oklahoma State on Wednesday night. Iowa State (14-5, 2-5 Big 12), meanwhile, has lost four of its last five.
“We had a heart-breaker (at Oklahoma State),” TCU coach Jamie Dixon told the radio broadcast afterward. “We responded Thursday with mental preparation. I thought they handled it great. We got back at 2 a.m. and then Friday really good preparation. We had an early shootaround today with really good preparation. I just thought they prepared to win. They were focused on and understanding of what we did wrong.”
TCU had a season-high 22 turnovers in the Oklahoma State game and cut that number down to 15 on Saturday. But the Frogs’ defense is what carried them all day.
Iowa State ended up making its own dubious history on Saturday. The 44 points are the fewest the Cyclones have ever scored in a game at Hilton Coliseum. The previous record was 45 against Tennessee in 2018. TCU held Iowa State to 30.9% shooting from the field, and 11.5% from deep (3 of 26).
For TCU, this victory will boost its NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings as the team’s second “Quad 1” victory, which is a significant factor used by the NCAA in determining its March Madness field. Teams are awarded “Quad 1” wins for road victories over teams ranked No. 1-75. Iowa State entered the game No. 24 in the NET rankings.
TCU took control of the game early on, jumping out to a 34-23 lead in the first half. Damion Baugh led the team with 13 points that half, which matched his season high. The Frogs turned it over only five times compared to 13 first-half turnovers at Oklahoma State.
TCU closed the opening half on a 7-1 run and extended its lead to 36-23 when Emanuel Miller made the first points of the second half.
Iowa State responded with a 10-0 run to pull within one possession, capitalizing on three turnovers by TCU in that stretch. The Cyclones pulled within 36-33 on a 3-pointer by Tre Jackson with just under 14 minutes left.
But TCU answered with its own 10-0 run, highlighted by a steal and fast-break dunk by Baugh that forced Iowa State to call a timeout. The Frogs scored four unanswered after the break, capped by a jumper by Baugh with 10 minutes left.
TCU had a multi-possession lead the rest of the way.
Baugh had a career-high 23 points with Chuck O’Bannon Jr. finishing with 10. TCU’s leading scorer Mike Miles struggled once again, finishing with five points on 2-of-8 shooting.
TCU returns to action against No. 23 Texas (14-5, 4-3 Big 12) on Tuesday at Schollmaier Arena. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.
“I’m just excited about this team. I love this team,” Dixon said. “I love the energy, love the enthusiasm. ... We need a great crowd on Tuesday.”
