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Trae Young Scores 43, Powers Oklahoma to OT Win vs. TCU

Mike Chiari@mikechiariX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistJanuary 13, 2018

Oklahoma's Trae Young (11) goes up against TCU's Desmond Bane (1), Alex Robinson (25) and Vladimir Brodziansky (10) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Garett Fisbeck)
Garett Fisbeck/Associated Press

Trae Young matched his career high with 43 points Saturday as the No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners defeated the No. 16 TCU Horned Frogs 102-97 in overtime at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

Young added 11 rebounds and seven assists, marking the ninth time he has posted a double-double this season.

Saturday's performance was Young's second big game of the season against TCU, as he registered 39 points and 14 assists in a 90-89 win on Dec. 30.

Oklahoma improved to 14-2 overall and 4-1 in Big 12 play with the win, while TCU fell to 13-4 with a 1-4 record in conference action.

Young made 15 of his 27 field-goal attempts, which included hitting at a 10-of-18 clip from beyond the arc, as seen in the following highlight reel:

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport

Trae Young was dripping sauce 🔥 43 points (10 threes) 11 rebounds 7 assists https://t.co/dE6UoM32MR

Despite TCU making a concerted effort to lock down Young, he managed to make nearly half of the contested shots he attempted, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo

TCU contested 23 of Trae Young's 27 shots on Saturday, but he was 11-23 on those shots, including 9 of 17 from 3. https://t.co/Iz7xDOdv8K

Saturday marked just the 16th game of the freshman's collegiate career, and he is already only the fourth player in program history to post multiple 40-point games, per ESPN Stats & Info.

ESPN noted that no major conference player in the past two decades has produced the stat line Young came through with Saturday:

ESPN @espn

Trae Young is the only major-conference player in the last 20 years with 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 3-pt FG in a single game. https://t.co/RFTbStQ1fQ

For as spectacular as Young was, George Schroeder of USA Today suggested his stat line could have been even better with a little more help from his teammates:

George Schroeder @GeorgeSchroeder

Trae Young: Wow. 43 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists in Oklahoma's 102-97 OT victory against TCU. And OU left about 7 or 8 assists on the floor with missed bunnies.

Young has been the talk of the sports world this season, and even a potential NFL MVP in Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley has taken notice:

Todd Gurley II @TG3II

Trae Young🔥🔥🔥🔥

Although the Horned Frogs had no answer for Young, TCU held a three-point lead with just over two minutes remaining in regulation.

Young tied it with a trifecta, and then with Oklahoma leading 89-87 with seconds remaining, Jaylen Fisher made a layup for TCU just before the buzzer to force overtime.

Young added five more points in the extra session as the Sooners pulled away and won their second consecutive game against a ranked opponent.

While Oklahoma has won 12 of its past 13 games, TCU is moving in the opposite direction.

Since starting 12-0, the Horned Frogs are 1-4 with two losses to Oklahoma, one to Kansas and one to Texas.

TCU's next two games are against unranked opponents before a Jan. 22 clash with No. 2 West Virginia, while the Sooners have two unranked opponents on tap ahead of a Jan. 23 meeting with No. 12 Kansas.