Dec. 2, 2007
Final Stats
The TCU men's basketball program dropped its second straight contest as the Horned Frogs fell to the University of Oklahoma by a 90-66 count at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on Sunday (Dec. 2).
With the setback, the Frogs dropped their overall record to 4-2 while the Sooners improved to 6-2 on the 2007-08 campaign.
The Sooners came out firing on all cylinders right from the opening tip as OU freshman Blake Griffin scored on a lay-in to make the score 2-0 at the 19:41 mark. A combination of slow shooting by the Frogs along with a strong post presence by the Sooners allowed the visiting squad the opportunity to continue to build upon their lead.
The Sooners took a 10-point advantage at 14-4 with 14:30 remaining in the game after Tony Crocker connected on his second consecutive three-pointer within a span on 33 seconds. Crocker finished with a game-high 24 points in the contest - including 20 in the first half of action - as he connected on 8-of-11 field goal attempts. The OU senior connecting on 6-of-7 three-pointers in the contest and nearly missed out on a double-double as he added nine rebounds.
After a lay-in by TCU junior Henry Salter (Gulfport, Miss./Mississippi Gulf Coast College) at the 13:28 mark allowed the Frogs to get within eight points at 14-6, but an 11-5 rally for the Sooners quickly pushed the lead to 25-11 with 9:04 remaining in the first half. OU would not allow the Frogs to cut their lead to under double digits for the remainder of the game and took a 45-27 lead into intermission.
The second half of action continued to be a repeat for the Sooner offense as the visiting squad opened up the frame on a 20-6 run capped off by a dunk by Griffin at the 14:02 mark to give OU a 65-33 advantage.
The Sooners - who connected on 52.9 percent (18-of-34) in the second half of action - were able to cruise through the remainder of the game en route to securing their second road victory of the season by a 90-66 count.
Salter led the Frogs with 18 points as the TCU junior connected on 6-of-11 shots, including 5-of-6 from behind the three-point arc. He also added six rebounds in 29 minutes of action.
Kevin Langford finished with 11 points and four rebounds in 24 minutes of action while Ryan Wall posted a season-high nine points after connecting on a trio of three-pointers.
Griffin added 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting for the Sooners while Austin Johnson finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in 26 minutes of action.
The Sooners connected on 54.5 percent (36-of-66) of their field goal attempts, including 52.2 percent (12-of-23) from behind the three-point line. OU held a big advantage on the boards as the visiting squad grabbed 50 rebounds - including 18 offensive caroms - compared to 33 on the part of the Purple and White.
The Frogs will be back in action on Wednesday (Dec. 5) when the Purple and White travels down the road to SMU for a match-up against the Mustangs at the Moody Coliseum. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.
Inside the Game
Head Coach Neil Dougherty on tonight's game
"I didn't feel like we weren't getting to them when they shot. I have to give them credit because they spread the floor very well. We knew we were going to have an issue down low, and they good off to a good start shooting the ball so it was kind of a pick your poison situation. They had an advantage inside, and we probably needed them to miss some of those shots, especially early."
Dougherty on the performance of Tony Crocker
"When he goes 6-of-7 from three in the game, it's not a matter of me being disappointed in our shooting percentage or their shooting percentage. That happens, and we got behind the eight ball and could never get out of that hole. I think that the biggest difference between Crocker and Bret Hackett was that they both had good looks, but Tony was able to make his shots. He made those shots early in the game and that makes a big difference.
Dougherty on the remainder of the season
"It's so early in the basketball season that there's a whole lot of things that are going to change for everyone. Our team is no different because we have to work through a few things here. The good news for us is that we won't see a front-line like that again this season. We have to be able to defend the basket and get the ball to people who can make shots."
OU guard Tony Crocker on his shooting performance against the Frogs
"It was one of those things where you make a few shots, and the next thing you know you just keep making more. I hope I make all my shots from the beginning of the game, but once I kept making them then Coach (Capel) continued to let me shoot more."
OU Head Coach Jeff Capel on the Sooners' victory over TCU
"We are really pleased to get this win. TCU has been playing well up to this point, and we have a great deal of respect for their program. They placed Texas Tech awfully tough, and that got our guy's attention. I thought we played really hard and defended to a very high level. When we are making shots, it opens up our inside guys and that will work well for us."
The Go Frog Five (Notes from the DMC)
- This was the worst home loss for the Frogs since Vanderbilt defeated by the Purple and White by a 95-60 decision on January 3, 2004.
- Henry Salter scored 18 points against the Sooners - which was the fifth straight game at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum that the TCU has notched a double-digit scoring performance. At home this season, Salter leads the Frogs with a 15.2 points per game average.
- The Sooners were the first team to score 90 or more points against the Frogs since UNC-Charlotte posted a 94-point performance on January 26, 2005 - a span of 77 games.
- Kevin Langford (Fort Worth, Texas/North Crowley H.S.) scored 11 points in the game - which is his fourth straight double-digit scoring performance.
- The setback to the Sooners snapped the Frogs' six-game home winning streak.
TCU Athletic Media Relations
