The TCU Horned Frogs won their first NCAA Tournament game in three years with a thrilling 66–64 victory over the ninth-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes. Despite the narrow final score, TCU controlled much of the game and led by 15 at the half before Ohio State mounted a second-half comeback in the closing minutes.
Bruce Thornton opened the scoring with a three-pointer to give the Buckeyes an early lead. TCU almost immediately responded, but Ohio State answered to maintain a three-point advantage. After
a triple from Brock Harding tied the game and a free throw from David Punch gave TCU a one-point lead, the Horned Frogs did not trail for nearly 30 minutes of game time.
Behind stifling defense and efficient offense, the Horned Frogs maintained a steady lead over the Buckeyes that grew substantially late in the first half. With 3:16 remaining, Micah Robinson knocked down a three-pointer to give TCU a 31–24, seven-point lead.
A dunk by Edmonds, followed by three-pointers from Harding and Robinson, pushed the Horned Frogs ahead by 15 with 34 seconds remaining. The Ohio State Buckeyes went scoreless the rest of the half as TCU took a 39–24 lead into the break. Perhaps best of all, TCU held Thornton to only five first-half points.
The Buckeyes struck first in the second half on a bucket from John Mobley Jr., but struggled to generate consistent offense. Even as the TCU Horned Frogs managed just four points in the first five minutes, they maintained a 12-point lead. Once the clock dipped under 15 minutes, though, Ohio State began to rally.
Trailing 43–30, Ohio State answered with a 10–0 run, fueled by six points from Mobley Jr. The Frogs halted the momentum with 11:49 left on a three from Jayden Pierre, and an and-one by David Punch stretched the lead back to 49–40.
TCU’s run was short-lived, as the Buckeyes responded with seven straight to make it 49–47. A layup by Amare Bynum gave Ohio State the lead at 7:24, and consecutive buckets from Devin Royal stretched it to 55–50. Ohio State held the advantage for four minutes before Punch converted a layup to put TCU back in front, 58–57, with under four minutes to play.
It took nearly two minutes, but Ohio State retook the lead when Thornton knocked down a pair of free throws to make it 59–58. Punch answered again, converting an and-one to give TCU a 61–59 lead with 1:45 remaining. Devin Royal tied the game at the line, but moments later, Robinson buried a clutch corner three to put the Frogs back in front.
With the game on the line, Ohio State turned to Thornton, who drilled a contested three to tie it at 64 with 34 seconds left. Out of a timeout, TCU ran a play for Punch, who drove and dished to Edmonds for a go-ahead layup, making it 66–64 with 4.1 seconds remaining. The Buckeyes had one final chance, but Thornton’s half-court heave fell short, sending TCU to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
TCU shot 46.9 percent from the floor in the first half but managed only 32.1 percent in the second, finishing with a 40.0 percent overall mark. The Frogs’ saving grace was a 39.1 percent performance from three-point range. Ohio State finished the game shooting 42.1 percent from the field after a 35.7 percent effort in the first half. No team dominated in any single statistical category, but TCU’s 38–32 rebounding advantage played a key role in its narrow victory.
Robinson led TCU with 18 points, going 4-of-6 from three. Edmonds and Punch added 16 points each, with Edmonds recording eight rebounds and three assists, while Punch contributed 13 boards and three blocks.
It was a balanced effort for the Buckeyes, with all five starters scoring in double figures. John Mobley Jr. led the way with 15 points and six assists, while Bruce Thornton scored 10, tying his season-low with only three field goals in his final collegiate game.
Up next, TCU will take on the winner of No. 1 Duke and No. 16 Siena on Saturday, March 21.
