TCU earns 111-87 victory, Old Dominion plays without head coach Jeff Jones
HONOLULU (AP) — Chuck O'Bannon Jr. scored a career-high 25 points and made six 3-pointers, Emanuel Miller added 21 points and TCU earned a 111-87 victory against Old Dominion, which was playing without head coach Jeff Jones on Thursday.
Old Dominion announced that Jones was hospitalized on Wednesday after suffering a heart attack. The 63-year-old Jones is being held for observation for the next 48 to 72 hours and will not be available to coach in the Diamond Head Classic.
TCU (9-1) will face Nevada on Friday in the tournament semifinals. The Horned Frogs set a tournament record for single-game points, passing Ohio’s mark of 99 set in 2014.
TCU led by as many as 14 points in the first half, but Old Dominion pulled within 47-41 when Vasean Allette sank a long 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer. Allette finished the half with 22 points, going 8 of 11 from the field with a perfect 4 for 4 behind the arc.
Allette cooled off in the second half, scoring just three points at the line, and TCU pulled away.
TCU scored 13 of the opening 15 points of the second half — with nine of those total points coming at the free-throw line — to extend its lead to 60-43. The Horned Frogs led by 20-plus for the final 9:57.
Jameer Nelson Jr. added 18 points for TCU. JaKobe Coles grabbed 10 rebounds, to go with nine points, and Essam Mostafa scored 10. The Horned Frogs made 36 field goals and 30 free throws, and dominated the glass 40-21.
Allette finished with 25 points for Old Dominion (3-7). Tyrone Williams added 15 points.
Kieran Donohue served as interim head coach for ODU.
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