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The TCU Horned Frogs defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats 73-63 to secure a five-game winning streak ahead of the Big 12 Tournament. TCU finished the regular season 21-10 and 11-7 in conference play, marking their first winning record in Big 12 play.
In TCU’s regular-season finale, it hosted a Cincinnati team that had won six of its last seven games. Neither squad got off to a strong start, each recording just one field goal in the first three and a half minutes of action. At the 16:23 mark, the Frogs scored five quick points to Cincinnati’s two to take a 7–5 lead. Another scoring drought followed, lasting several minutes before either team found the basket again.
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Much of the first half followed a similar pattern: quick spurts of scoring followed by lengthy dry spells. Amid the back-and-forth, neither team could pull away, with both TCU and Cincinnati holding leads of no more than four points. The final 10 minutes featured six ties and five lead changes, underscoring the volatility. The last of those came when Micah Robinson drilled a corner three to put the Frogs ahead 32–29 heading into halftime.
The second half started much faster, with David Punch scoring on a 10-foot jumper just 10 seconds in. Cincinnati responded with a three-pointer. Unlike the first half, however, TCU soon began to pull away. With the Frogs leading 36-35, Xavier Edmonds scored at the 17:21 mark to start a 9-0 run. TCU forced five turnovers during the stretch to take a 45-35 lead with 14:13 remaining.
Cincinnati stopped the bleeding with 13:10 remaining, but the Frogs kept their foot on the gas, pushing the lead back to double digits just a minute later at 48-38. As the clock ticked down, the Bearcats found ways to score, but TCU consistently answered. Cincinnati never managed to cut into the Frogs’ lead.
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TCU’s largest advantage of the contest came at the 3:02 mark, when Liutauras Lelevicius went 2-of-2 from the line to put the Frogs ahead 65-53.
From that point on, the Horned Frogs did not record another field goal, but, including Lelevicius’ pair, converted 10-of-12 free throws down the stretch to ice the game. TCU held on for a 73-63 victory to close the regular season with a home win.
Despite shooting lower percentages from the field and beyond the arc than Cincinnati, the Horned Frogs secured the win by getting to the free-throw line and forcing turnovers. TCU went 15-of-21 from the charity stripe compared to Cincinnati’s 4-of-6 mark. The Frogs also forced 19 Bearcats turnovers, converting those miscues into 24 points.
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On senior night, Jayden Pierre led TCU with 18 points while adding five rebounds and five assists. Liutauras Lelevicius chipped in 14 points off the bench, while David Punch tallied 13 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.
Day Day Thomas led Cincinnati with 19 points, 12 of which came from beyond the arc. Jalen Celestine drilled four three-pointers for all 12 of his points, while Jizzle James added 11, including three triples.
Up next, TCU will face the winner of the No. 11 vs. No. 14 game in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday, March 11, in Kansas City. The Horned Frogs enter the tournament as the No. 6 seed after finishing conference play 11-7, earning a first-round bye.
