Frogs hit milestones in loss
Blount, Merriex, Chinweze each earn honors
By Carmen Castro
Skiff Staff

Despite the Frogs’ overtime 88-85 loss to the UAB Blazers, Tuesday night was a time for milestones.

Within the first three minutes of the game, senior guard Junior Blount reached the 1,000 point mark. Blount is the 26th player in school history to reach this mark and only the seventh player to accomplish it in a two-year period. Blount finished with 20 points.

“For what it’s worth, it’s a good accomplishment but it’d be a whole better if I had the win,” Blount said.

Coach Neil Dougherty said that he could not think of any other player under 6-feet that had reached Blount’s milestone.

Senior forward Bingo Merriex had to wait a little longer for his shinning moment. Merriex was 0-2 in field goal attempts at the end of the first half. He ended the first half with one point. Merriex finished the game with 10 points and made the top 10 all-time school scoring record.

Freshman Chudi Chinweze had a career high 28 points despite an aching body.

TCU (8-16, 2-10 Conference USA) and UAB (14-8, 6-5 C-USA) traded baskets for the early part of the game. With under seven minutes to go in the first half, the Blazers picked up the pace building a nine point lead at the half, 32-23. TCU gave up 17 points in the first half off of turnovers.

The Frogs took a strong defensive stand in the second half. Team members said they worked to not give up as many turnovers in the second half.

For the Blazers, it was a different story. Within the last three minutes of the game, UAB’s forwards Gabe Kennedy and Demario Eddins fouled out. Freshman guard Richard Jones also fouled out.

Blount said this match was déjà vu from the previous match-up between these teams on Jan. 29. In the last seconds of regulation, TCU had the ball and just could not get a good shot at the basket.

The match came down to the wire in overtime, with UAB outscoring the Frogs 12-9 in overtime.

Dougherty jokingly said that he should get to ask the questions tonight.

“I don’t know who we were in the first half,” Dougherty said. “I think some of our guys were feeling a little down and sorry for themselves.

“We should be celebrating two things right now,” Dougherty said. “We just didn’t get to bank one in.”

The Frogs next match is at 1:05 p.m. Saturday when they host Marquette.

c.castro@tcu.edu