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Tag: David Punch

  • Three takeaways from TCU men’s basketball game vs. No. 10 Houston

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    TCU men’s basketball ran out of gas in its showdown with No. 10 Houston as the Horned Frogs fell 79-70 Wednesday night at Schollmaier Arena.

    “Extremely disappointed by the loss,” coach Jamie Dixon said. “We just didn’t get it done. We had opportunities, but coming close is not good enough. Simply put we could’ve done things better, we could’ve won the game.”

    It was a frustrating second half for TCU (13-8, 3-5) as the Horned Frogs overcame a 15-point deficit in the second half to cut the Cougars’ lead to 56-54 with 8:59 remaining.

    But as the game got close, Houston (18-2, 6-1) showed why it’s become one of the best college basketball programs in the country as the Cougars leaned on freshman star Kingston Flemings to pull away.

    Flemings was aggressive in getting downhill and drew multiple fouls that led to six straight free throws for the point guard. The Cougars went on an 8-0 run to take a 64-54 lead, before the run was stopped by Xavier Edmonds.

    “We got it down to two, they hit a big 3 and that killed us,” Dixon said. “At the end of the day, they made their free throws, and we didn’t at a high enough rate. Coming back from 13 down (at halftime) was a challenge.”

    But it was clear TCU was becoming gassed on defense as the Horned Frogs gave up multiple wide-open looks to the Cougars, including a 3-pointer by Milos Uzan that made it 69-58 with 3:27 remaining.

    Uzan’s 3 would serve as the dagger as TCU didn’t get closer than seven points in the final three minutes.

    The loss to Houston snapped a two-game winning streak by TCU, and it was also a missed opportunity to add another signature win to the Horned Frogs’ NCAA Tournament resume. TCU entered Wednesday on the bubble on most projections.

    TCU will travel face Colorado in Boulder at 1 p.m. Saturday.

    Here are three more takeaways from Wednesday’s game:

    No answer for Sharp

    TCU struggled to contain Houston senior guard Emanuel Sharp all night as the veteran leader from last year’s national runner-up squad consistently made timely shots. One reason for his success was TCU’s half-court defense, which attempted to trap Houston’s big men and ball handlers coming off pick-and-rolls.

    It was an attempt to speed the Cougars up offensively, but it also left shooters like Sharp open in the short corner. Sharp knocked down multiple 3-pointers off the Cougars showing patience against the trap, and he went on a personal 8-2 run near the end of the first half after TCU had cut it to 30-26.

    Sharp scored 16 points in the first half to lead all scorers, but he had to sit for over five minutes in the second half after picking up his fourth foul with 11:58 remaining. However, thanks to Flemings when Sharp came back into the game Houston was still in control with a 62-54 lead. Sharp continued to hit timely shots, including converting a three-point play, to put Houston ahead 72-61 with 2:21 remaining.

    Sharp fouled out with 23 points.

    Punch’s return

    After missing Saturday’s win over Baylor with an illness, sophomore forward David Punch returned and showed no signs of rust against Houston’s elite defense. Punch scored 11 points in the first half and knocked down his first five shots as he and Xavier Edmonds were TCU’s best source of offense in the first.

    Punch’s first basket of the day came when he made a defender slip in transition, then he finished the nice move with a layup. With the Cougars walling off the rim, Punch showcased a different aspect of his game as knocked down multiple mid-range jumpers from around the free-throw line. Punch even knocked down a rare 3-pointer as he did his best to keep the Horned Frogs within reach.

    “I was feeling really good,” Punch said of his return. “I was looking forward to this game, Houston’s a good team and it was a great opportunity for me to come back and show how good of a player I am.”

    Houston slowed Punch down in the second half as they limited him to just five points, but Edmonds stepped up and scored 18 points as he continued his strong surge in Big 12 play. Punch finished with 14 while Edmonds led TCU with 18 points. The Horned Frogs’ big man duo was able to match Houston’s physicality, but the lack of production from TCU’s guards was ultimately the difference.

    Freshman phenoms

    TCU continued its streak of facing likely lottery picks in the NBA Draft as the Horned Frogs were tasked with slowing down Houston freshmen Chris Cenac and Flemings. Flemings was coming off a 42-point performance against Texas Tech, and he picked up right where he left off. Flemings scored the first basket of the game with a nice pull-up jumper and added more timely shots, including a 3-pointer to finish with 10 in the first half.

    Cenac, a 6-foot-11 former five-star recruit, was also impactful with his size and athleticism in the lane. Cenac grabbed 10 of his 14 rebounds in the first half and served as a formidable deterrent in the paint.

    Flemings began to take over in the second half. He showed his advanced shot-making ability as he knocked down a 3, multiple mid-range jumpers and used his athleticism to draw fouls. Houston needed the freshman to step up his production with Sharp dealing with foul trouble. On two separate occasions, TCU cut it to two in the second half only for Flemings with respond with a bucket to stave off the run each time.

    Flemings scored 15 of his 25 points in the second half, while Cenac finished with eight points.

    This story was originally published January 28, 2026 at 10:49 PM.

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    Steven Johnson

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  • Three takeaways from TCU men’s basketball game at rival Baylor

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    TCU men’s basketball overcame icy conditions and the absence of its best player to defeat rival Baylor 97-90 Saturday in Waco.

    It was the first time since 2018 that the Horned Frogs (13-7, 3-4) swept the season series with the Bears (11-8, 1-6). TCU also defeated Baylor 69-63 on Jan. 3 in its Big 12 opener.

    The Horned Frogs were without sophomore forward David Punch, and it was a tightly contested game in the first 25 minutes as TCU held onto a 51-49 lead with 14 minutes, 57 seconds remaining in the game.

    That’s when TCU began to assert itself behind Jayden Pierre. The Horned Frogs went on a 17-4 run in taking a 68-53 lead as Pierre had one stretch where he scored eight straight points.

    Taking the big lead allowed the Horned Frogs to show what they’ve learned since blowing a 15-point lead against Kansas on Jan. 6. After the Bears cut it to 68-58, the Horned Frogs didn’t panic like they did in Lawrence.

    Instead, TCU responded with a 7-0 run to increase the lead to 75-58 with 5:52 remaining as Xavier Edmonds bullied Baylor inside during the run and Liautarus Lelevicius knocked down an important jumper.

    The Bears made the Horned Frogs sweat in the final minute. Baylor’s Will Kuykendall knocked down a 3-pointer and then TCU turned it over on the inbounds pass. Baylor capitalized off the turnover with a dunk by Caden Powell that cut TCU’s lead to 94-90 with 16 seconds remaining.

    With the pressure mounting, Edmonds stepped up and made two clutch free throws with 14 seconds remaining to help TCU avoid another last minute collapse. The Horned Frogs made nine of their final 10 free throws in the final 55 seconds.

    TCU entered Saturday’s game firmly on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, but even though the Bears aren’t as elite as the have been in past years, the win in Waco was still a valuable Quadrant 1 win for the Horned Frogs’ tournament resume.

    The Horned Frogs are set to face No. 6 Houston at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Fort Worth.

    Playing without Punch

    The Horned Frogs had to overcome the hostile road environment and the absence of their best player. David Punch, the sophomore forward who leads TCU in scoring, rebounding and blocks, missed Saturday’s game due to an illness. Sophomore forward Micah Robinson replaced Punch for his first start of the season. Robinson scored six points and fouled out after playing 35 minutes.

    Punch’s absence also allowed for reserve center Vianney Salatchoum to also get on the first time in over a month. Salatchoum hadn’t gotten on the court since TCU’s win vs. North Texas on Dec. 7 and missed multiple games earlier this month taking time away from the team.

    Salatchoum gave TCU some valuable minutes in the first half on Saturday. He scored four points, including a dunk off a nice pass from Robinson. Edmonds carried most of the load with his second straight double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Edmonds continues to be one of the most pleasant surprises for TCU this season as he’s improved dramatically during Big 12 play.

    Edmonds is averaging 17 points and 8.5 rebounds in TCU’s last four games.

    Pierre leads the way

    Without Punch’s scoring, TCU needed someone else to step up and carry the offense, and it was senior guard Jayden Pierre that led the Horned Frogs on offense. Pierre had gone three straight games without scoring 10 points, but broke out for a season-high 25 points against the Bears. It was the most points he scored since TCU played Notre Dame on Dec. 5.

    Pierre scored 11 in the first half to help TCU tie it at 38-38. He continued to be productive in the second half as TCU began to take control of the game. Pierre capped a 15-2 run with a 3-pointer that gave TCU a 57-49 lead with 12:36 remaining.

    Pierre accounted for half of TCU’s made 3-pointers with three, and he also made a pivotal play late when he knocked down two free throws that made it 85-76 with 1:34 remaining.

    Baylor’s challenging backcourt

    Led by two potential first-round picks in the NBA Draft, Baylor’s talented group of guards pushed TCU until the end. Cameron Carr and Tounde Yessoufou are the two household names that have NBA teams salivating over their talent, but the Bears also got a boost from Obi Agbim.

    But as the Horned Frogs began to take over, Yessoufou was the one that kept Baylor in the game. The 6-foot-5 freshman scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, including seven straight points in the final 3 minutes. Yessoufou converted a three-point play that cut TCU’s lead to 81-72 with 1:54 remaining.

    After Yessoufou fouled out, Carr came alive. Carr scored six straight points to give Baylor a chance to pull off the comeback late. Carr finished with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists as both of the Bears’ dynamic guards put pressure on the Horned Frogs’ defense.

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    Steven Johnson

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  • TCU blows double-digit lead in overtime loss to No. 22 Kansas

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    TCU basketball blew a 15-point second-half lead in a shocking overtime defeat to No. 22 Kansas on the road Tuesday night in Lawrence.

    Despite giving up the lead, the Horned Frogs still had a chance to pull off the upset in overtime as Jayden Pierre knocked down a 3 to cut the Jayhawks’ lead to 97-94 with 50.4 seconds remaining.

    Pierre nearly came up with a steal on the ensuing inbounds pass, and Kansas moved downcourt for an alley-oop dunk. The Horned Frogs responded with a 3-pointer from Brock Harding to cut it to 99-97 with 34.3 seconds remaining.

    After the Jayhawks’ Melvin Council made one of two free throws, TCU had a chance to tie the game with 25.2 seconds remaining, trailing 100-97.

    But Pierre threw the ball away leading to two more free throws for Council with 21 seconds remaining. Pierre made up for the mistake by hitting another 3 to make it 102-100 with 11 seconds to go. However, the Jayhawks put the game away with two final free throws with 9.2 seconds remaining.

    It could be a season-changing loss as the defeat will have NCAA Tournament implications.

    TCU squandered an 82-67 lead with 4:38 remaining as Kansas outscored the Horned Frogs 20-5 to send it to overtime. The Jayhawks made timely shots, but the Horned Frogs were their own worst enemies with critical mistakes down the stretch.

    TCU’s Liutaurus Lelevicius made a huge 3-pointer to make it 85-76 with 1:14 minutes remaining, which initially felt like the dagger, but Kansas responded immediately with a 3-pointer from Jamari McDowell with 60 seconds remaining. The Jayhawks would cut it to 85-82 after a missed free throw by Harding led to a three-point play by Council.

    Harding missed another free throw, which gave Kansas a chance to tie it, but White missed the 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining. Lelevicius made two crucial free throws with 12 seconds remaining, but another Kansas basket kept the Jayhawks in it with less than 10 seconds to go.

    The Horned Frogs made another critical mistake as Harding turned it over on in-bounds pass to David Punch with 5.1 seconds remaining. With one last chance to tie it Jace Posey fouled Darryn Peterson while attempting a 3-pointer and Peterson knocked down all three to tie it with 1.7 seconds remaining and send it to overtime.

    Despite dealing with a hamstring injury Peterson led all scorers with 32 points. Lelevicius led TCU with 23 points while Punch finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and five blocks.

    TCU will face No. 1 Arizona at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

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    Steven Johnson

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