March Madness 2022: TCU gets first NCAA win since 1987 with rout of Seton Hall

Mike Miles Jr. scored 21 factors and ninth-seeded TCU bought its first NCAA Event victory in 35 years, simply dispatching eighth-seeded Seton Corridor 69-42 on Friday evening.

The Horned Frogs’ final match victory was in 1987 towards Marshall, when coach Jamie Dixon was a senior at his alma mater. They have not had many alternatives since: This was their third look since 1988 and second in Dixon’s six seasons.

“Properly, I can’t do something concerning the final 35. I’ve been saying that for some time,” stated Dixon, who led Pittsburgh to 11 NCAA journeys in 13 years. “We’ve completed good issues since we’ve been again. Hopefully that is the beginning of extra to come back.”

Damion Baugh scored 14 factors for TCU, which shot 27 of 53 (50.9%) from the sector and led a lot of the recreation. It additionally dominated inside, outscoring Seton Corridor 40-14 within the paint. Sixteen of TCU’s 27 discipline targets had been layups.

“We bought them in foul hassle early, which made them hesitant on the offensive finish with their assault,” stated Emmanuel Miller, who had 10 factors. “I feel going ahead that’s an enormous factor in what we have to do as a result of we understand how necessary it was to do this immediately.”

The Horned Frogs (21-12) will tackle the South Area’s high seed, Arizona, on Sunday within the second spherical. The Wildcats defeated Wright State 87-70 earlier Friday.

Jamir Harris and Myles Cale every scored 11 factors for Seton Corridor (21-11), which shot 28.8% from the sector, its worst efficiency in an NCAA Event recreation. The Pirates’ earlier worst taking pictures recreation was 32.3% towards Gonzaga in a 2016 first-round loss.

“I believed they had been far more bodily than us. I believed they bought into us actually early within the recreation, type of shook us, to be trustworthy with you,” coach Kevin Willard stated.

Jared Rhoden was held to 4 factors and fouled out in what is probably going his recreation for Seton Corridor. The primary-team All-Massive East guard got here into the sport averaging 15.9 factors.

“I simply suppose TCU is a really bodily workforce. They rebounded the ball very effectively. They had been very effectively ready, very effectively coached,” Rhoden stated. “The guard play was really higher than I believed. They bought some large dudes on their workforce.”

A 3-pointer by Harris bought the Pirates inside 12-11 earlier than the Horned Frogs went on a 12-1 run that included six factors by Miller. Seton Corridor missed eight straight photographs and was held with out a discipline purpose for five:43 because it began 5 of 24.

TCU led 33-21 at halftime and commenced the second half with a 15-4 run.

WILLARD’S FUTURE?

Willard, who has been at Seton Corridor for 12 years, has been talked about as a candidate for the opening at Maryland. Requested about these rumors, he did not deny them. He additionally endorsed his attainable substitute.

“I’ve an agent who I haven’t talked to but. However once I get house I’ll speak to my agent and talk about issues with my agent,” he stated. “I’ll be trustworthy with you. If I’m not right here subsequent yr, I’d love, if Shaheen Holloway is right here, that will be the happiest factor to occur to me.”

Holloway performed at Seton Corridor and was an assistant on Willard’s workers. He left to turn into the coach at Saint Peter’s and led the Fifteenth-seeded Peacocks to the largest upset of the primary spherical, a win over Kentucky on Thursday.

BIG PICTURE

TCU: Dixon improved to 8-4 towards Seton Corridor, with the earlier 11 video games coming when he was Pittsburgh’s coach.

Seton Corridor: The Pirates had some late-season momentum with six straight wins earlier than dropping their last two.

UP NEXT

Dixon is seeking to get TCU to the Candy 16 for the primary time. He made three journeys there with Pittsburgh and reached the Elite Eight as soon as, in 2009.