Boone, Oklahoma St blow big lead, recover to top No. 15 TCU

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Kalib Boone scored 25points and Oklahoma State blew a 19-point second-half lead beforerecovering to beat depleted No. 15 TCU 79-73 on Saturday.

Caleb Asberry added 19 points and John-Michael Wright had 17 forOklahoma State (14-9, 5-5 Big 12). The Cowboys have won threestraight and five of six to move back into the conversation for apotential NCAA tournament berth.

Emanuel Miller led TCU with 17 points and Shahada Wells had14.

The Horned Frogs (17-6, 6-4) have struggled since their leadingscorer, Mike Miles Jr., suffered a hyperextended right knee lastSaturday early during a loss to Mississippi State. TCU also wasminus injured big man Eddie Lampkin Jr.

TCU coach Jamie Dixon received a technical foul in the finalminute of the half and the Horned Frogs trailed 43-29 at the break.Five quick points by Asberry to open the second half gave OklahomaState its biggest lead at 48-29 with 18:49 left.

An 20-3 run by TCU cut the deficit and Damion Baugh’s layup with11:51 left pulled the Horned Frogs within 51-49 with 11:51 left.Oklahoma State answered with six straight points to quell theimmediate threat.

TCU eventually tied it at 59 on three free throws by Baugh with5:41 left, then took its first lead 33 seconds later on two freethrows by Miller.

Wright took over down the stretch for the Cowboys. His 3-pointerwith 3:38 left gave Oklahoma State the lead for good at 66-65 andstarted a 9-0 run that included a dunk by Boone that started withan over-the-shoulder save by Wright.

TCU pulled within 72-70 with 1:33 left on a 3-pointer by Wells,but Boone scored a pair of close-in baskets, the latter with 29.1seconds left, to make it 76-71 and after a TCU miss, Asberry sealedthe win with two free throws with 19.3 seconds left.

Oklahoma State took a 12-0 lead as TCU missed its first eightshots and didn’t made a basket for 6 1/2 minutes. Oklahoma Stateeventually led 22-6 less than eight minutes in and the Cowboys’lead never fell below double digits the rest of the half.

BIG PICTURE

TCU: Miles can’t return fast enough for the Horned Frogs, wholost to Mississippi State in the game in which he was injured, thenstruggled to beat West Virginia at home before falling Saturday.The upcoming schedule for TCU looks daunting – No. 7 Kansas State,No. 11 Baylor and No. 13 Iowa State are its next three opponents,with the K-State and Iowa State games on the road.

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys, now 2-6 this season against rankedfoes, need all the big wins they can get as they look to positionthemselves for a NCAA tournament bid. To pick one up without one oftheir top players – Avery Anderson III – out with an injury is abonus.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

TCU has been ranked for a program-record nine consecutive weeksand while the Horned Frogs might drop a few spots for the loss toOklahoma State, they figure to make it 10 in a row, since they beatWest Virginia earlier in the week.

UP NEXT

TCU: Will visit No. 7 Kansas State on Tuesday.

Oklahoma State: Will host Texas Tech on Wednesday. The Cowboysare 10-2 this season at Gallagher-Iba Arena.