Detroit, MI - The nerves were there early for TCU Friday night as they tipped off their first NCAA Tournament game in 20 years at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit against the Orange of Syracuse. And despite making a run to take a half time lead, they returned at the worst possible time.
The Frogs struggled with the zone most of the first half, seeing several layups miss and shots bothered by the size and length of the Orange, the nation’s biggest team. A pair of early threes by Kouat Noi and a Desmond Bane bomb opened things up, but it was 17 minutes into the half before Vladimir Brodziansky scored his first, and only, points of the first frame.