FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Damion Baugh had 16 points and 10 assists, big man Eddie Lampkin Jr. made an unexpected return from injury and 15th-ranked TCU overcame the absence of top scorer Mike Miles Jr. to beat West Virginia 76-72 on Tuesday night.
JaKobe Coles had 17 points, Shahada Wells 16 points and Xavier Cork 15 for the Horned Frogs (17-5, 6-3 Big 12), who wrapped up the first half of their conference schedule in a four-way tie with No. 7 Kansas State, No. 8 Kansas and No. 13 Iowa State for second place. They are all one game behind league-leading No. 10 Texas.
Erik Stevenson had 17 points and Tre Mitchell 15 for West Virginia (13-9, 2-7).
Wells was in TCU’s starting lineup with Miles out because of a hyperextended right knee. The Big 12’s second-leading scorer (18.1 points per game) got hurt less than four minutes into the Frogs’ loss Saturday at Mississippi State.
Lampkin, their leading rebounder, had missed the last two games because of a left high ankle sprain and wasn’t expected to play against West Virginia. But the 6-foot-11 center, entered after the first media timeout, and in just over a minute had a layup and then a bounce-pass assist to Baugh for another TCU basket.
The Horned Frogs missed their next eight shots, and West Virginia was within 16-15 when Stevenson hit a floater midway through the first half. But the Mountaineers never regained the lead, and never got closer than their four-point halftime deficit.
BIG PICTURE
West Virginia: Stevenson, the fifth-year senior transfer from South Carolina, was coming off a 31-point game against Auburn that earned him Big 12 newcomer of the week honors. But the guard got off to a slow start against TCU, going 1-of-5 with only two points before halftime. He had WVU’s first three baskets after halftime before the Frogs scored the next seven points for an 11-point lead.
TCU: Even though Lampkin played only eight minutes and was clearly still hobbled, his high-energy play provided a big boost for the Horned Frogs. He first entered during the middle of a spurt that put them ahead to stay. TCU, which last year got its first NCAA Tournament win in 35 years, needs Lampkin and Miles healthy down the stretch. An MRI on Miles showed no ligament damage, though the timetable for his return is still uncertain.
UP NEXT
West Virginia is home Saturday night against Oklahoma, which beat the Mountaineers 77-76 on Jan. 14.
TCU plays Saturday at Oklahoma State.
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