The TCU men¹s basketball team kicked off the Jim Christian era in impressive
fashion as the Horned Frogs cruised to an 81-50 victory over Lithuania
Christian University in an exhibition game at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on
Monday (Nov. 3).
TCU senior Kevin Langford (Fort Worth, Texas | Univ. of California) led the
Purple and White with a double-double, notching 12 points to go along with
13 rebounds in 27 minutes of action. The TCU senior was one of three Frogs
to collect eight or more rebounds against LCC as TCU held a 52-35 advantage
on the boards including 28 offensive rebounds.
Junior Edvinas Ruzgas (Vilnius, Lithuania | Weatherford College) led the
scoring attack for the Frogs as the Weatherford College transfer connected
on a team-high 14 points including a trio of three-pointers in 25
minutes of action. John Ortiz (Cali, Colombia | Colby C.C.) gave the Frogs
an added burst off of the bench as the TCU senior collected 10 points to go
along with eight rebounds in 16 minutes of action.
The Frogs jumped out to a 20-point lead at the 10:35 mark in the first half
after Langford grabbed a missed three-pointer and connected on the easy
lay-in to give TCU a 24-4 advantage. The biggest first-half lead for the
Frogs came at the 46-second mark when Ruzgas connected on a trey to give TCU
a 41-14 lead while cruising into the locker rooms with a 41-19 lead at
intermission.
LCC was able to cut into the Frogs¹ lead at 18 points at 49-31 following a
St. Paul Latham three-pointer at the 13:35 mark, but the Frogs responded by
rebuilding their lead back into the 20s. Lithuania was never able to make a
run at the Frogs lead as TCU cruised into the new era with an 81-50 victory.
Kavon Rose (Detroit, Mich. | Finney H.S.) had a solid debut for the Frogs as
the Detroit, Mich., product finished with 10 points while fellow newcomer
Ronnie Moss (Fort Worth, Texas | Christian Life Academy) added eight points
to go along with four assists, three rebounds and two steals in 23 minutes
of action.
The Frogs¹ defense was able to force 33 miscues en route to holding a 41-7
advantage in points off of turnovers. TCU attempted over twice as many shots
as Lithuania (85-37) and held a 20-6 advantage in assists in the exhibition
game.
The Frogs will begin the 2008-09 campaign at the ESPN Charleston Classic on
Nov. 14 when the Purple and White squares-off against Western Michigan at
the Carolina First Center.