– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — In less the three days, the TCU Horned Frogs experienced first hand that it is better to give than to receive. What the Horned Frogs also learned on Saturday is that Big 12 contenders, for yet another season, will be one of the many unwitting victims of another Iowa State team overlooked in the preseason prognostications that defies expectations.
Gabe Kalscheur knocked down a game-winning three with 1.3 seconds remaining, lifting the No. 25 Cyclones to a dramatic 69-67 victory over No. 17 TCU at Schollmaier Arena on Saturday afternoon. Kalscheur also had four assists, three rebounds and three steals as Iowa State has won its fifth straight.
The Horned Frogs were on the other end of a buzzer-beater on Wednesday just 90 minutes south from its campus, as Chuck O’Bannon Jr.’s long two-pointer with four seconds left capped off an 88-87 victory in Waco to defeat No. 19 Baylor, and déjà vu appeared to be happening as TCU used a 9-0 run in the final two minutes to turn a 66-58 deficit into a 67-66 lead after Mike Miles Jr. hit two of three free throws with 23.2 seconds left after being fouled on a three-point attempt.
On the ensuing possession, Miles Jr. and Xavier Cork came up with blocked shots on Iowa State shots at the rim, but the Horned Frogs were not able to secure the defensive rebound after each rejection, with Cork throwing away a pass as he was falling out of bounds after his defensive play. That left the Cyclones with one last chance to win the game, with Kalscheur putting aside all of his team’s offensive woes in the final two minutes by stepping back on his defender on the left wing before burying his first three of the game — on six attempts — to seal the victory.
“Gabe is a guy you can have unlimited confidence in based on the work he does every single day,” Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “I knew he’d be ready when the opportunity presented itself, and I’m really proud of him for stepping up in that big moment.”
Picked to finish eighth out of 10 teams in the preseason Big 12 poll, the Cyclones join defending national champions Kansas and Kansas State at the top of the league, all sporing 3-0 conference records.
Miles Jr. led the Horned Frogs with 18 points while Damion Baugh had 17 as TCU’s 11-game winning streak, tied for third-longest in the nation coming into today, came to an end.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Saturday afternoon’s game, with all photos taken by Dallas-area photographer Ross James. After clicking on the first photo to enlarge the picture, make sure to press the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the rest of the pictures. There are 11 pictures in total.
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
