Arizona State beats TCU, advances to play Duke

TEMPE, Ariz. - Eric Boateng can continue his coming-out party in New York City.

Boateng had a career-high 21 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, and Ty Abbott made a 7-foot floater in the lane with 21.7 seconds remaining to lift Arizona State to a 52-49 victory over TCU on Tuesday night and to the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament.

``What can you say about Eric? He literally put us on his back and carried us,'' Arizona State coach Herb Sendek said.

Boateng, who started his college career at Duke, scored 11 points in the final 9 1/2 minutes, and Arizona State (3-0) overcame an eight-point deficit in the final 3:53 to advance to a game against the Blue Devils on Nov. 25.

Derek Glasser made two free throws with 1.2 seconds remaining after Ronnie Moss's 23-foot 3-point with three seconds left hit the rim and bounced out of bounds, giving the ball to Arizona State.

``That was a tremendous gut-check win for us,'' Sendek said. ``There was a lot of heart and guts.''

Boateng, a 6-foot-10 senior, had his first career double-double and Rihards Kuksiks added 12 points. Abbott had eight.

``What's more gratifying is that we came together and found a way to win,'' said Boateng, a reserve until this season.

Kuksiks hit a 3-pointer with 3:35 remaining that began an 8-0 run after TCU took a 48-40 lead on Moss's 3-pointer on the previous possession. The Sun Devils finished the game on a 12-1 run.

Edvinas Ruzgas had 18 points and Moss had 17 for the Horned Frogs (2-1), who shot 36.2 percent from the field and were outrebounded 37-27.

Arizona State freshman Trent Lockett, making his first start, hit a free throw with 2:41 left to make it 48-44, and Boateng made two free throws after being fouled on a follow shot when Lockett missed his second free throw. Lockett had three points and 11 rebounds.

Boateng tied the game at 48 with a layup on a Kuksiks feed with 1:44 left. Boateng scored 11 of ASU's 15 points in that run.

``We let him get too deep in the box. You let a kid with that size get that deep, and he's going to make you pay. He was the difference in the game,'' TCU coach Jim Christian said.

Zvonko Buljan, a 6-foot-9 forward who entered the game averaging 18.0 points and 16.5 rebounds, was held scoreless and had six rebounds after getting two fouls in the first six minutes. He played 24 minutes.

TCU committed four turnovers, made one of two free throws and missed its only field goal attempt after taking its 48-40 lead.

``We weren't good when we needed to be good. We knew we had to play with composure down the stretch when you play a team that is used to winning,'' Christian said.

Moss hit a floater to give TCU a 35-33 lead, its first lead since 5-4, with 10:25 remaining.

Moss made another 8-foot runner and a 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 48-40.

ASU shackled its third consecutive opponent in the first half, limiting TCU to 8 of 27 shooting from the field, 29.6 percent.

Western Illinois made 6 of 27 shots in the first half of its 87-35 loss to Arizona State on Friday, and Texas State made 9 of 29 shots in the first half of its 84-62 first-round NIT loss on Monday.

Western Illinois shot 23.1 percent from the floor for the game. Texas State shot 36.2 percent.