The Sports Xchange
Dec 5, 2017
Kenrich Williams scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead No. 20 TCU to a 94-83 victory over SMU on Tuesday at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, expanding the nation's longest winning streak to 14 games.
The Horned Frogs snapped a five-game losing streak to the Mustangs, defeating their long-time Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex rival for the first time in eight years, as Williams finished one rebound shy of his fifth consecutive double-double for TCU.
Williams added five assists and three steals, but committed seven of his team's 20 turnovers.
Jaylen Fisher's two free throws and a three-pointer from Williams granted the Horned Frogs a 72-60 advantage with 7:08 to play. TCU led 78-65 with 4:30 remaining before the Mustangs made a final charge, pulling to within 81-75 on a Jimmy Whitt jumper with 2:02 left.
Kouat Noi added a career-high 16 points off the bench for TCU (9-0). Desmond Bane tallied 14 points, Fisher scored 10 and Ahmed Hamdy-Mohamed added 11 points for the Horned Frogs. TCU reserves outscored SMU's bench players 26-3.
Ethan Chargois led SMU (7-3) with 21 points while Jarrey Foster scored 19, Shake Milton hit for 18, and Whitt added 12 points for the Mustangs. SMU, which received 15 votes in the AP poll on Monday, suffered its worst defeat of the season three nights after beating No. 25 USC.
Williams paced TCU in the first half with 13 points as the Horned Frogs led 43-38 at intermission. Chargois led the Mustangs with 13 points, Foster had 11 points for SMU and Milton had 10, combining the score all but four of SMU points in the first half.
The contest was tied at 47 after two free throws by SMU's Jimmy Whitt with 15:34 to play but the Horned Frogs scored seven of the ensuing nine points and took charge.
NOTES: This was the 192st meeting on the basketball court between TCU and SMU, which are located about 40 miles apart. ... SMU still leads the all-time series 106-86. ... TCU returned its top six scorers from last season's team that went 24-15, finished tied for seventh in the Big 12 and won the NIT, including all five starters. ... SMU junior G Shake Milton was named American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Monday. He averaged 22 points, six assists and five rebounds in wins against Texas Rio Grande Valley and No. 25 USC to earn his second such award this year. ... It's the first time TCU coach Jamie Dixon has had a team with every starter returning from the year before. ... This was SMU's first road game of the season. The Mustangs have played six home games and three contests in the Bahamas at the Battle 4 Atlantis.