DENVER — JaKobe Coles hit a floater from the lane with 1.5 seconds left and No. 6 seed TCU rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to beat 11th-seeded Arizona State 72-70 on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Coles took a pass Mike Miles Jr. from near the top of the 3-point circle, dribbled once and let go of the game-winner. Arizona State's desperation heave at the buzzer missed.
Miles, playing on a hyperextended right knee, finished with 26 points for the Horned Frogs (22-12).
They advanced to a second-round matchup with No. 3 seed Gonzaga on Sunday in the West Region.
DJ Horne had 17 for Arizona State (23-13).
Just when it looked like Arizona State was in control — up 11 with 16:34 remaining — the game steadily began to turn.
A pair of free throws by Damion Baugh — and another by Miles —- gave the Horned Frogs a three-point lead with 24 seconds remaining.
That’s when Horne came through with a deep 3-pointer to tie it up at 70 with 15 seconds left.
It was just setting the stage for Coles, who finished with 11 points.
Miles was noticeably limping shortly after a dunk late in the first half. He was greeted by the trainer as he walked off the court for halftime, but returned after the break. The Horned Frogs needed him, too, as made big play after big play. He drew a pivotal charge late in the game.
Miles missed a stretch of games in early February with a hyperextended right knee.
As much as the last-second shot, TCU coach Jamie Dixon credited the win to his team committing only five turnovers, which matched its season low. Those turnovers led to only four ASU points
Possibly still a little weary from their trip in from Dayton, Ohio, the Sun Devils took a moment to get acclimated. The 11 seed was down 11 before even breaking much of a sweat. But they quickly found their rhythm — just like they did two days ago, when they scored 98 points in a First Four win over Nevada.
BIG PICTURE
Arizona State: The Sun Devils are definitely back on the right track after going 14-17 last season and 11-14 in 2020-21.
TCU: The Horned Frogs improved to 7-9 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
UP NEXT
TCU and Gonzaga haven’t met on the basketball floor since a 90-87 Horned Frogs win on Dec. 30, 1998. But there’s plenty of respect on the part of Bulldogs coach Mark Few. “I’ve watched TCU a lot this year. I think they’re as good of team as there is in this tournament, especially when they’re at their high end,” Few said.
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