Miles, No. 11 TCU lead throughout in 79-52 win over Oklahoma

By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Micah Peavey was already headed back the other way to play defense for 11th-ranked TCU, thinking like everyone else that the ball was going out of bounds. Except Rondel Walker made an incredible save.

Walker somehow kept the ball in play near midcourt after Shahada Wells blocked a 3-pointer, then threw ahead to Peavy for a slam dunk that capped an 11-0 run to start the second half — just like the 11 points in a row the Horned Frogs had to open the game while leading throughout in a 79-52 win over Oklahoma on Tuesday night.

“I honestly started going back … they didn’t call out of bounds, so I just ran and got the ball, barely though,” said Peavey, with heavy legs after missing the previous four games because of a back issue.

Mike Miles Jr. had 23 points while Damion Baugh and Peavy each added 13 for TCU (16-4, 5-3 Big 12), which had an emphatic follow-up to their 23-point win at then-No. 2 Kansas just three days earlier.

“We’re riding high right now, so we wanted to keep the same intensity on defense as we did in the Kansas game, and transfer it over to this game,” Miles said. “And that’s what we did.”

Emanuel Miller grabbed 10 rebounds while big man Eddie Lampkin Jr., the team’s leading rebounder, sat on the bench with a protective boot on his left foot because of a high ankle sprain sustained in the win over the reigning national champion Jayhawks three days earlier.

C.J. Noland had 11 points for the Sooners (11-9, 2-6), whose third loss in a row was their most lopsided setback since 77-47 to Baylor on January 28, 2019. They were coming off a 62-60 home loss to the Bears on Saturday.

“Our team has bounced back and fought after so many heartbreaking losses. We lost last possession Texas, last possession to Iowa State, last possession Kansas, then just last possession to Baylor,” Oklahoma coach Porter Moser said. “Every game we fought back and showed resilience, toughness to bounce back. Tonight, we didn’t. Tonight was a total beatdown.”

At the first media timeout, when it was 11-0, Oklahoma already had four turnovers that led to eight points for TCU.

BIG PICTURE

Oklahoma: The Sooners, now 0-5 vs. Top 25 teams, had three turnovers before getting off their first shot. That was an air-ball 3-pointer by Sherfield, the transfer to Oklahoma who is from Fort Worth. Sherfield, who entered as the leading scorer for the Sooners at 17 points a game, was held to five on 2-of-11 shooting — only 1 of 8 on 3s.

TCU: The Frogs built an early 20-8 lead even while missing 7 of 8 shots and going nearly 5 1/2 minutes without a basket after Baugh banked in a 3-pointer for an 8-0 lead. TCU scored eight consecutive points on free throws, including Miles twice getting fouled on a 3-pointer and making every free throw. Miles had 17 points by halftime, including 10-of-10 free throws.

SOME BIG BLOCKS

TCU had seven blocked shots in the game, including two impressive rejections by Xavier Cork. His first came when he was in the air and blocked an attempted dunk without committing a foul. The other got the ball to Baugh, who twisted and turned to penetrate before dishing to Chuck O’Bannon for a nifty layup in traffic that made it 27-13. That prompted a timeout by Moser, who couldn’t wait another second for the media timeout that would have come on the next whistle.

FOOTBALL FROGS

The TCU football team was recognized at halftime, with coach Sonny Dykes and the team surrounding the trophy from the College Football Playoff semifinal Fiesta Bowl the Frogs won over Michigan. Highlights of that game were shown on the video board, but there no specific mention of the 65-7 loss to Georgia in the CFP national championship game that followed that. TCU’s 13 wins matched the school record.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma plays at No. 2 Alabama on Saturday in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

TCU travels to Mississippi State for its SEC/Big 12 Challenge game.

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