Ames, IA (SportsNetwork.com) - The TCU Horned Frogs hope to put the brakes on a three-game slide when they pay a visit to the 15th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones for a Big 12 Conference clash on Saturday afternoon.
Despite their recent hardship, the Horned Frogs own a 14-6 record. Unfortunately, their league ledger sits at 1-6, with their lone Big 12 win coming over another struggling squad in Texas Tech on Jan. 17. TCU has lost six of its last seven games overall, and is 2-2 in true road tilts this season.
Iowa State is coming off a huge win as it slipped past the Texas Longhorns at home last Monday, 89-86. The triumph improved the Cyclones to 15-4 overall and 5-2 in conference, the latter of which has them tied for second place with West Virginia entering the weekend. ISU is a perfect 11-0 at home this season.
The series between these two teams is knotted at 5-5, but Iowa State has won the last four meetings after losing the previous five. TCU hasn't won in Ames since 1982.
Kyan Anderson scored 17 points, Trey Zeigler posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Chris Washburn grabbed a dozen boards, but those efforts went for naught as TCU dropped a tough 64-61 decision to visiting Kansas earlier in the week. The Frogs shot just 30.6 percent from the floor, missed 10 of their 12 3-point tries, and went just 15-of-29 at the free-throw line. They won the battle on the boards, 50-40, but allowed the Jayhawks to knock down 46.2 percent of their total shots.
Anderson is the only player on the roster averaging double digits at the moment, as he nets 13.9 ppg for a TCU squad that puts up 70.7 ppg. Balance is the key for the Horned Frogs as six others produce at least 5.8 ppg. Well that, and tough defense as foes are permitted just 57.6 ppg in hitting a mere 35.7 percent of their field goal attempts, which includes a 30.9 percent showing from beyond the arc. A +6.6 rebounding differential has certainly helped the team's overall cause.
Iowa State shot a sizzling 54.7 percent from the field and had five players score in double figures in the recent win over Texas. Georges Niang led the way with 19 points, while Bryce Dejean-Jones added 18, Jameel McKay 14, Monte' Morris 13 and Dustin Hogue 11 for the Cyclones, who lost the rebounding battle (39-29), but more than made up for it by logging a 25-10 edge in points from the foul line. Both teams took very good care of the basketball, combining for only 14 turnovers.
At present, six players are averaging in excess of 10 ppg, with Niang pacing the group with 14.8 ppg. As a result, Iowa State is netting a robust 80.2 ppg behind typical shooting efforts of .487 overall and .348 from 3-point land. The team owns narrow advantages in both rebounding (+1.4) and turnovers (+2.3), but limits the opposition to 68.7 ppg as they connect on 41.5 percent of their total shots. Foes have also done an impressive job at the charity stripe, converting 77 percent of their free throws.
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