Tuesday, November 20, 2001

Second half outburst leads men’s basketball to first win
By Matt Stiver
Skiff Staff

They’re ubiquitous, seen around town by many people multiple times everyday. Green lights.

But junior guard Junior Blount did not see the green light until Friday night. Blount hit 7-15 three-pointers and scored 21 of his game-high 34 points in the second half to lead TCU past Northwestern St. (La.), 93-79

Coaches occasionally give players the “green light,” allowing them to shoot at their discretion. Last season, players such as Ryan Carroll and Greedy Daniels saw it.
Tubbs said Blount will see it more often.

Simon Lopez/SKIFF STAFF Junior forward Jamal Brown goes for a layup against the Northwestern State (La.) Demons Friday night in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Brown scored seven points and had 13 rebounds in the Frogs’ 93-79 win.

“He probably will after tonight,” Tubbs said. “If you watch him play, that’s not an accident. He can light it up and will open some things for other people.”

While the Frogs notched their first win of the year, rebounding problems and a young team still trying to gel became apparent.

With TCU trailing by six two minutes into the second half, Blount went on an 8-point run that put TCU ahead for good.

After making two free throws, Blount was fouled while draining a three-pointer. The ensuing free throw tied the score. A fast-break layup gave TCU a 52-50 lead they would not relinquish.

The Frogs found a weakness in the Demons’ defense and exploited it. Blount would run under the basket, behind two back screens, to get open on the other side of the floor.

“We ran that play in the exhibition games, and it seems to work,” Blount said. “My post players are setting good screens, and I’m knocking it down.”

The Frogs were out-rebounded 50-44 for the game, despite a 27-17 halftime deficit.
Senior Marlon Dumont said the Frogs have focused on rebounding during preseason drills and during every game.

“They were physically going to the boards harder than us, and Tubbs said we need to step it up,” Dumont said.

Demons head coach Mike McConathy said execution breakdowns let TCU back into the game.

“You can bet (Tubbs) told them to run up and clean off the boards,” McConathy said. “It wasn’t a matter of them doing anything, but we didn’t block out and put ourselves in a position to get over-the-back calls.”

Tubbs said the Frogs will improve as they learn each other’s playing styles and strengths. Four TCU players saw their first minutes in a Division-I game.

“We don’t really know each other,” Tubbs said. “It was obvious from the bench that (Blount) was a hot-hand, but we weren’t looking for him. It’s just going to take us a while to all get on the same page.”

Despite having virtually no rhythm on offense, TCU managed to score. Blount, freshman guard Corey Santee and sophomore forward Corey Valsin all proved capable of breaking down defenses individually.

“One thing I like about our team is they go and make plays,” Tubbs said. “Basketball is a game of reads, especially on offense. If we have a breakdown, someone will go and make a play. On some teams, the offense has to find you the opening. Our offense doesn’t have to.”

Matt Stiver
m.r.stiver@student.tcu.edu