Men’s Basketball: TCU unable to overcome early deficit in 12-point loss at Cincinnati

TCU’s tournament hopes have taken a hit.

The TCU Horned Frogs’ three-game win streak came to an end in Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon. Coming off a two-game losing streak, the Bearcats knocked off the up-and-coming Horned Frogs 75-63. TCU was at a disadvantage from the get-go. The Bearcats scored the first 13 points of the contest. After nearly six minutes of game time, a Vasean Allette triple put TCU on the board.

The Frogs’ offense would then stall again. It took about four minutes for the next bucket. A Brendan Wenzel triple cut TCU’s deficit to eight with 10-and-a-half minutes to go. Despite the slow offensive start, TCU’s defense began to pick it up. The Horned Frogs held Cincinnati to only two points from the 14-minute to the nine-minute mark. After a Josh Reed and-one, increasing Cincinnati’s advantage to 10, the Horned Frogs would come back, scoring six straight points to narrow the Bearcats’ lead to four.

As the game wore on, TCU’s offense improved. The Horned Frogs nearly caught up to the Bearcats. With over four minutes remaining, a Jace Posey three cut the margin to three points. However, the Bearcats would respond. Scoring eight of the next 10 points to go up by nine. A David Punch jam ultimately cut Cincinnati’s lead back down to seven, 31-24, before the halftime buzzer.

TCU’s start to the second-half was all to similar to the first. The Horned Frogs scored two points in the first four minutes of action. Meanwhile, the Bearcats would score 10, upping their advantage to 15. The Bearcats would hold off a TCU comeback for much of the first 10 minutes of the second-half. The Frogs never managed to get within 12.

The Bearcats led by as many as 20 with just under nine minutes remaining, 58-38. Suddenly, a quick, 14-6 run over the next few minutes made the once insurmountable deficit, surmountable. The Horned Frogs continued to chip away. A Punch layup with two minutes and 15 seconds remaining narrowed the Bearcats’ deficit to nine. Cincinnati never completely took their foot off the pedal, responding after an Allette missed layup to go back up by double-digits. The Bearcats would ultimately come away victorious, winning at home for the third-straight time.

Inefficient and aimless offense doomed the Frogs. TCU played well on defense, especially in the latter part of the first and second halves. Nonetheless, the Horned Frogs’ offense wasn’t able to muster enough of a run to come back. TCU shot merely 40.9 percent from the field and 26.1 percent from three-point range. The Horned Frogs settled for the outside shot against the Bearcats stout defense, hoisting 23 triples and only getting to the line twice. TCU converted 3-of-4 free throw attempts.

Freshman Punch led TCU in scoring. He dropped 18 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out three assists. The big man converted 8-of-13 field goal attempts. Allette and Trazarien White were the second and third-leading scorers. Allette had 13, albeit on 18 attempts, while White contributed 10, including two triples.

The Horned Frogs’ chance for redemption comes on Tuesday, February 25. TCU remains on the road, traveling to Morgantown, West Virginia, to battle the Mountaineers at 8:00 p.m. CT. Now .500 in Big 12 play, TCU’s tournament hopes are on the line and will surely be boosted with a win at West Virginia.