The Frogs kicked off their 99th season against Jackson State Friday night with a 86-62 win in Daniel Meyer Coliseum.
We came out strong and finished strong, junior Ronnie Moss said.
In their third meeting against the Horned Frogs, the Tigers started off the game with a basket but TCU was quick to answer with a goal by Moss.
Moss, TCU’s active career leader in points, went on to take the Frogs to a 12-4 lead just 4 minutes into the half.
Freshman Amric Fields boosted the Frogs with a three point conversion and later a dunk just before the end of the first half. This allowed the Frogs to walk away from the half with a 41-24 lead.
The Frogs highlighted the second half with not only a 54-27 lead with less than 16 minutes remaining, but also a leap-frog play that ended in a slam dunk by Fields.
The freshman Fields proved a viable asset for the Horned Frog basketball team as he finished the night with 18 points, the most for a TCU freshman since the 1993-94 season. Not to be outdone, Moss led the team with 20 points, his 11th time to reach the mark in his career.
The Frogs maintained their lead throughout the game in what proved to be an easy win against the Tigers. Coach Jim Christian was able to rotate in 13 players, eight who had never seen regular-season action in a TCU game before.
“It was good to get a lot of the new guys in,” he said.
Friday’s game made 10 of 11 season openers that the Frogs have won.
Moss said the win came from Coach Christian’s constant insistence to finish the game for the full forty minutes and continue intensity.
TCU men’s basketball will now prepare to take on SMU Tuesday in the annual State Farm DFW Duel.
“Today they played with great energy and great effort now we’ve got to get them with greater understanding…that’s where we’ll get better,” Christian said.
For Christian, it’s the technicalities such as executing offense and a good transition defense that have to be improved upon, he said.
“It’s the little things, but they’re big things if you don’t get them better,” he said.
Tip-off for Tuesday’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the DMC
