Men’s Basketball: TCU, Vasean Allette stun Oklahoma State with last second three

TCU is now 9-3 at home after the one-point triumph.

Somehow, the TCU Horned Frogs came away victorious against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Despite a second-half collapse, Vasean Allette drilled an incredible three-pointer with less than three seconds left to put a pin in the Cowboys. TCU’s 24th contest of the season shouldn’t have come down to a last-second heave. The Horned Frogs started the game with a sense of urgency, taking an 11-2 lead after four minutes of action. Five of TCU’s first four baskets were assisted on. Allette recorded three of the four dimes to begin the contest—including a slick, baseline bounce pass leading to an Ernest Udeh Jr. jam.

Oklahoma State would go on to score the next four points, but the Horned Frogs would respond. TCU held a 4-to-8-point advantage for much of the first half. The Cowboys caught up but never once tied the Frogs in the first 20 minutes. At one point, Oklahoma State narrowed the deficit to two with less than a minute left. However, two straight triples, one by Micah Robinson and the other by Trazarien White, gave the Horned Frogs a seven-point advantage at the half.

TCU dominated the paint in the first half, scoring 22 of 38 points from the inside. TCU’s second half was similar, albeit marred by turnovers. Oklahoma State scored 18 points of TCU turnovers in the latter 20 minutes. 10 of the Frogs’ 17 turnovers occurred in the second half. Prior to a slew of turnovers to help the Cowboys gain the lead, TCU played a solid first 15 minutes. Points were hard to come by at the beginning of the half, but the Horned Frogs defense kept them in the game. After the Cowboys cut the deficit to two, another Udeh slam reinvigorated the Frogs.

Udeh’s dunk led to a 10-2 TCU run, subsequently building a 10-point lead. The advantage didn’t last for long. Oklahoma State responded, scoring 10 consecutive points to tie the game at 55 with seven minutes and 42 seconds to go. The tie game didn’t impede the Frogs. TCU scored the next six points—all coming within a minute. The Horned Frogs held a steady lead for the next five minutes before an Abou Ousmane dunk tied it up at 67. Jamie Dixon would then call a timeout and draw a play up for Noah Reynolds. The senior guard drove left, saw his shot get blocked, and ultimately to recovered the loose ball to knock down a fadeaway jumper.

TCU led 69-67 after Reynolds’ jumper. David Punch then cashed in on a free throw to help the Frogs go up by three with just over a minute to go. Two TCU turnovers in the last minute of the contest led to the Cowboys taking a 71-70 advantage with 18 seconds remaining. The Horned Frogs were given two chances to retake the lead but came up short. The Cowboys regained possession, only to get fouled with three ticks remaining. Cowboys’ guard Brandon Newman converted one of two free throws to put Oklahoma State up by two.

With little hope left, Jace Posey launched a Josh Hoover-like heave to Robinson on the opposite end of the floor. The ball bounced off Robinson and an Oklahoma State Cowboy, landing in the trailing Allette’s hands. Allette then turned around, and drilled a deep three-pointer, reminiscent of Christian Laettner’s iconic game-winner, giving TCU the 73-72 victory.

Allette led the Horned Frogs with 16 points. The sophomore added six rebounds and seven assists. Reynolds also turned in a terrific all-around performance. The 6-foot-3 guard scored 13 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out eight assists. Freshmen duo Micah Robinson and Malick Diallo reached double-digits. The former contributed 13, including three triples, while the latter added 10.

The Frogs are now 13-11 on the season and 6-7 in Big 12 play. Although the Horned Frogs have rarely been mentioned as a tournament team, they’re quietly closing in on the discussion. TCU will travel to Tempe to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday, February 15, at 7:00 p.m. CT.