The TCU Horned Frogs improved to 13–7 on the season and 3–4 in conference play after a seven-point road win over the Baylor Bears in Waco. Without leading scorer David Punch, who was sidelined with an illness,
TCU faced a tall task against a desperate Baylor squad. The Horned Frogs had already defeated the Bears once this season behind a balanced effort—something they needed once again.
That balance was evident early, as TCU’s first 13 points came from six different players. Jayden Pierre ended the streak when he converted a floater with 11:49 remaining to cut the Frogs’ deficit to two at 17–15, before Xavier Edmonds tied the game moments later. From there, the two rivals traded blows, resulting in nine lead changes and five ties over the final 10 minutes of the first half. As expected, the teams headed into the break deadlocked at 38.
The Bears came out of the break hot, quickly building a five-point advantage by scoring nine points in the first two and a half minutes of action. The Frogs, however, didn’t back down. TCU retook the lead just two minutes later following a deep Jayden Pierre triple, and Micah Robinson then put the Frogs up four.
With Baylor star freshman Tounde Yessoufou sidelined with four fouls, TCU was able to build a cushion—one that forced Scott Drew to reinsert Yessoufou into the game just a few minutes later.
But it wasn’t enough. Even with Yessoufou back in tow, the Frogs’ lead ballooned to double digits after Pierre connected on another three-pointer before the 10-minute mark. Moments later, Xavier Edmonds knocked down a jumper to put TCU ahead by 15.
Yet that wasn’t even the Frogs’ largest margin of the night. TCU stretched its advantage to 17 following a slick feed from Brock Harding, who found Edmonds rolling to the rim. The emphatic finish gave the Horned Frogs a 75–58 lead.
As the final score shows, the Bears wouldn’t go away. Baylor slowly chipped away at the deficit, cutting it to 11 with 3:15 remaining. By pushing the pace and attacking the offensive glass, the Bears forced TCU into the free-throw game.
Despite ranking in the bottom half of the Big 12 in free-throw percentage, the Frogs converted 26-of-32 attempts in the second half, including 16-of-18 in the final two minutes. Edmonds was especially clutch, knocking down all six of his shots from the line down the stretch. A Kansas-like comeback seemed possible, but TCU did just enough to hold off Baylor, securing the 97–90 victory.
In a game with 54 fouls called, TCU made 35-of-43 free throws. But the Frogs didn’t just dominate at the line—they shot 51.9 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from three. Many of TCU’s points came off turnovers and in transition, totaling 41.
Baylor shot 50.0 percent from the floor, 30.8 percent from beyond the arc, and made 26-of-36 free throws, but also committed 18 turnovers. The Bears used their size advantage to control the glass, winning 37-24 overall and 12-6 on the offensive boards, though they only scored 12 second-chance points.
Pierre led all scorers with 25 points, going 6-of-9 from the floor, 3-of-4 from deep, and 10-of-12 from the line. Edmonds notched his second straight double-double with a career-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. Brock Harding added 16 points and six assists. Nine of Harding’s points came from the free-throw line, while Tanner Toolson provided a spark off the bench with 12 points.
The Bears were paced by Yessoufou and reserve Isaac Williams IV, who each scored 21 points. Cameron Carr contributed 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while Obi Agim added 15 points.
Up next, TCU hosts sixth-ranked Houston, led by star freshman Kingston Flemings, who dropped 42 against Texas Tech. The two squads will clash on Wednesday, January 28, at 8:00 p.m. CT.
