Ernest Udeh Jr. turned in a 13-point, 18-rebound double-double as host TCU defeated Texas A&M-Commerce 77-42 on Monday in Fort Worth, Texas.
Udeh, a transfer from Kansas, bested his previous season highs in both categories, leading the Horned Frogs’ charge. Avery Anderson III also scored 13 points, followed by Micah Peavy and Trevian Tennyson with 11 each and Emanuel Miller with 10.
TCU (11-2) allowed its lowest point total of the season as Texas A&M-Commerce (6-7) shot just 32.2 percent. The Lions finished just 2 of 22 from 3-point range.
Peavy scored four of TCU’s first six points as the hosts opened on a 6-0 run. By the 15:06 mark of the first half, Udeh scored off a fast break, extending the lead to 13-2. By that point, TCU’s offensive rhythm overwhelmed the Lions’ defense, with the Horned Frogs widening the advantage to 37-17 on Jameer Nelson Jr.’s layup at the 4:38 mark.
TCU shot 63.6 percent in the first 20 minutes, despite going just 1 of 6 from beyond the arc.
Leading 47-20 at halftime, the Horned Frogs picked back up where they left off, scoring the first nine points of the second half. A three-point play from Xavier Cork on a fast break with 14:06 remaining gave TCU a 61-22 lead. Anderson extended the advantage to 42 points less than two minutes later on a three-point play of his own.
TCU led by as many as 45 points (73-28) after Tennyson’s 3-pointer with 5:41 left. The Lions countered with a 14-4 spurt late in the second half, but the Horned Frogs’ lead was secure.
TCU plays its Big 12 opener at No. 2 Kansas on Saturday. Texas A&M-Commerce also opens league play Saturday in the Southland Conference against visiting McNeese State.
–Field Level Media
