The TCU Horned Frogs have now won three straight and six of their last seven. TCU defeated the Kansas State Wildcats 77–68 in Manhattan, using a late 9–0 run to seal the victory. The win gives TCU a 2–0 season sweep of Kansas State—matching its record against the other teams it faced twice this year (Baylor and Oklahoma State).
Unlike TCU’s first matchup against Kansas State (when it led for only about six seconds), this one was nearly wire-to-wire. The Wildcats struck first, but TCU answered, and
the teams traded blows over the next 10 minutes.
The Frogs began to seize control just before the seven-minute mark. Xavier Edmonds broke a 25–25 tie with a layup, and consistent offense kept TCU in front for the remainder of the half. Tanner Toolson also reached a milestone in the first half, scoring his 1,000th career point after knocking down two free throws with eight seconds remaining. Toolson’s pair of freebies gave the Frogs a 41-38 lead going into the break.
The Frogs opened the second half with purpose, scoring the first four points to stretch the lead to seven. Kansas State answered with a 7–2 run to trim the deficit to two, but TCU countered again. A Toolson three-pointer and a Liutauras Lelevicius layup pushed the advantage back to seven. Still, much like the end of the first half, the Wildcats refused to fade.
TCU stayed in control but didn’t regain a seven-point cushion until the 6:06 mark, leading 66–59. Kansas State once again cut the gap, this time to 67–65, before the Frogs delivered the decisive blow. Edmonds scored six straight points to give TCU an eight-point lead with 3:37 remaining.
Less than a minute later, Brock Harding extended the margin to double digits for the first time, 75–65. Toolson added a free throw to cap a 9–0 run that put the game out of reach. Kansas State managed just three points the rest of the way as TCU closed out the 77–68 victory.
The Frogs secured the nine-point win despite shooting just 42.8 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from three-point range. Their edge came on the defensive end, where they forced 18 Kansas State turnovers and turned them into 28 points.
The Wildcats were efficient offensively, shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc, but were ultimately unraveled by their giveaways.
Jamie Dixon’s Horned Frogs showcased a balanced offensive attack, led by Edmonds’ 15 points. The big man added 13 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Toolson provided 14 points off the bench, Punch finished with 13, and Lelevicius chipped in 12.
P.J. Haggerty paced the Wildcats with 18 points while adding seven rebounds and five assists. Nate Johnson delivered a well-rounded performance of his own, totaling 16 points, five rebounds, and nine assists.
Up next, TCU will travel to Lubbock to take on No. 16 Texas Tech Red Raiders on Tuesday, March 3, at 6:00 p.m. CT.
