Men’s Basketball: TCU overwhelmed in road loss to Colorado

The TCU Horned Frogs took the floor on Sunday, but it was a performance most would rather forget. TCU was routed by the 12–9 Colorado Buffaloes, falling 87–61 in Boulder. The loss marked the Frogs’ second double-digit defeat of the season and their first by 20 or more points.

Nearly everything went wrong for TCU. The Frogs showed early energy, but it dissipated quickly. Colorado grabbed an 8–7 lead with 16:40 remaining in the first half and never relinquished control. TCU managed to stay within striking distance for several minutes before a near eight-minute scoring drought—from the 9:09 mark to 1:46—left the Frogs staring at a 13-point deficit. Xavier Edmonds briefly halted the slide with a pair of free throws to trim the margin to 11, but Colorado answered with four of the final six points to carry a 13-point lead into halftime.

The second half opened with Edmonds doing everything he could to spark a comeback, notching his fourth straight double-double early in the period. That momentum was short-lived, however, as TCU struggled to contain Colorado’s offense. The Buffaloes quickly stretched their lead to 15 and continued to pull away, reaching the 20-point mark for the first time at the 14:11 mark.

Matters worsened shortly thereafter. While battling for a rebound, Edmonds and Sebastian Rancik became entangled, and Edmonds was assessed a flagrant-2 foul for swinging his elbows, resulting in being ejected from the game.

With Edmonds out, the Buffaloes quickly built an insurmountable lead, stretching the margin to as many as 26 by the 10:49 mark. The Frogs had no answer for Colorado’s pace and offensive pressure, as the Buffaloes continued to score at will. With the outcome decided, Jamie Dixon turned to his reserves with just over five minutes remaining.

While the second unit provided a brief spark, TCU continued to struggle offensively, scoring only 10 points over the final five minutes compared to Colorado’s 11. The Buffaloes cruised to an 87–61 victory, snapping a six-game losing streak and securing their second-largest margin of victory this season.

Only one Horned Frog reached double figures, as Edmonds finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds in just 20 minutes of action. David Punch and Jayden Pierre struggled for TCU, combining for 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting.

Colorado turned in a balanced offensive performance, with five players scoring in double figures. Rancik led the way with 17 points in his first game coming off the bench this season. Star freshman Isaiah Johnson added 16, Bangot Dak scored 14, Josiah Sanders chipped in 12, and Barrington Hargress finished with 10.

TCU shot just 33.0 percent from the field and 21.7 percent from beyond the arc, with only eight of its 21 made field goals coming via assists. Colorado, meanwhile, shot a blistering 55.5 percent from the floor and 47.8 percent from three-point range, moving the ball effectively with 24 assists on 35 made baskets.

Up next, TCU will host the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday, February 7, at 1:00 p.m. CT.