TCU still has plenty to prove before heading into Big 12 Conference play but has only one more game to get its ducks in a row: a clash with Jackson State on Monday in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Horned Frogs (9-3) return to the floor after a seven-day Christmas break. TCU has captured four straight wins, the most recent a dominating 80-56 decision at home over Florida A&M on Dec. 21.
Xavier Edmonds led all scorers with a career-high 21 points in that win while RJ Jones tied his career high with 14. David Punch racked up 10 points and eight rebounds and Micah Robinson contributed 10 points and seven boards.
Down by four points after a ragged first half, the Horned Frogs flipped the script after halftime, outscoring the visitors 56-28 and shooting 56.3% from the floor. Fifteen of Edmonds’ points came in the second half.
“That gives us confidence, knowing that we’re able to play through adversity like that,” Jones said. “… We don’t want to put ourselves in that position, and that’s going to be a point of emphasis, playing through the entire 40 minutes.”
TCU coach Jamie Dixon believes his team can build off the way it played in the second half.
“Nothing really went right in the first half,” Dixon said. “… We responded with really good execution after halftime, good shot selection. … I don’t know that we have put it all together yet so we’ve got to keep working on it to get better.”
Jackson State (1-11) trudges into the game carrying a five-game losing streak, the latest an 82-72 defeat at the hands of Norfolk State in the Chris Paul HBCU Classic in College Park, Ga. on Dec. 19. Daeshun Ruffin paced the Tigers with 25 points in the loss, with Jayme Mitchell Jr. adding 19 and Dorian McMillian tallying 11.
The Tigers are battle-tested, having already played five ranked teams (Illinois, Louisville, Auburn, Arkansas and Houston) this season. Their only win of the season was on the road at Louisiana on Nov. 28.
Jackson State, which has played at home just once in its first 12 games, begins the Southwestern Athletic Conference portion of its schedule after the TCU game.
–Field Level Media
