The Sports Xchange
Nov 25, 2017
TCU stiff-armed St. Bonaventure and claimed the Emerald Coast Classic championship with an 89-79 victory Saturday evening in Niceville, Fla.
St. Bonaventure trailed for most of the contest, but pulled even at 41 early in the second half.
TCU (6-0) responded with a 9-1 run and refused to let the Bonnies back within five points the rest of the way.
Guard Jaylen Fisher scored 20 to lead five Horned Frogs in double digits scoring. Guard Kenrich Williams finished with 17, forward Kouat Noi added 14, guard Desmond Bane had 12 and forward Vladimir Brodziansky finished with 11.
Guard Izaiah Brockington scored 20 to lead the Bonnies (3-2) and guard Matt Mobley added 18.
TCU dominated the boards 37-23.
St. Bonaventure struggled to generate offense, but stayed in the game deep into the second half by making 32 of 44 free throws.
TCU led by as many as eight in the first half. The Horned Frogs gained a 41-31 edge when guard Desmond Bane hit a pair of free throws with 2:15 left before the break.
But St. Bonaventure continued to aggressively attack the TCU defense as the Bonnies got to the free throw line and went 15-for-19 in the first 20 minutes.
Brockington came off the bench to score 10 points in the first half, leading the way for the Bonnies, who shot 47 percent from the field before the break.
Fisher and Williams scored eight apiece in the first half to lead the Horned Frogs.
TCU outrebounded the Bonnies, 18-7, in the first 20 minutes.
However, the Horned Frogs gave up 11 turnovers in the first half, keeping them from gaining more separation.
Brockington made a 3-pointer and hit a pair of free throws to spark the Bonnies' 5-0 run to finish the first half and cut TCU's lead to 41-36 at the break.