The TCU Horned Frogs hosted a high-powered Baylor Bears squad for their first game of a challenging Big 12 conference slate. Despite Baylor’s top-five-ranked offense, Jamie Dixon’s team set the tone early with smothering defense.
Both teams struggled to score in the opening minutes. TCU finally got on the board with a Brock Harding three-pointer, followed by treys from Liutauras Lelevicius and Micah Robinson to give the Frogs a 9–4 lead. By the under-12-minute TV timeout, TCU maintained control at 14–6, forcing Baylor to work for every field goal. Following the timeout, former NBA draft pick James Nnaji made his much-anticipated debut for the Bears, much to the dismay of TCU fans.
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Nnaji’s entrance sparked a Baylor run, as the Bears scored 13 of the next 17 points to take a 19–18 lead with just under seven minutes to go. The lead, however, lasted just 10 seconds before Xavier Edmonds’ slam put TCU back in front. The Horned Frogs’ stingy defense and efficient offense returned once Nnaji left the floor, leading a 9–4 run to take a 29–23 advantage into the break.
After going scoreless in the first half, David Punch made his mark early in the second, scoring six points in the first five minutes to help TCU build an 11-point lead.
Both squads traded buckets over the next few minutes, with TCU maintaining a comfortable lead for much of the second half. By the 6:22 mark, a Micah Robinson tip-in gave the Frogs a 14-point advantage—their largest of the game. However, Scott Drew’s Bears responded, attacking the rim and creating open looks from outside. The Bears went on a 13–3 run over three minutes, cutting TCU’s 61–47 lead to just four.
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TCU’s defense held firm in the final stretch, forcing Baylor to miss their last three field-goal attempts. In the final two minutes, Baylor scored only from the free-throw line, while Punch and Robinson added five points, including three from the line, to seal TCU’s 69–63 victory and an undefeated start to Big 12 play.
TCU’s attacking defense limited the Bears to their lowest scoring outing of the season, ending Baylor’s streak of three consecutive 100-plus-point games. Baylor shot just 37.2 percent from the floor and 23.8 percent from beyond the arc, while the Frogs managed 38.3 percent from the field and an impressive 40.0 percent from three-point range. TCU’s relentless style also gave them a rebounding edge, 43–34, and fueled their transition game—over a fourth of TCU’s points (19) came in fast-break opportunities.
Xavier Edmonds, Liutauras Lelevicius, and David Punch all scored in double figures, recording 12, 11, and 11 points, respectively. Micah Robinson led TCU with 13 points and 10 rebounds, notching his second double-double of the season. Jace Posey provided energy off the bench, contributing seven points, six rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, and two blocks.
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Baylor was led by Cameron Carr, who scored 17 points, while freshman standout Tonde Yessoufou was limited to his lowest scoring game of the season with 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting. James Nnaji added five points and four rebounds in 16 minutes in a reserve role.
Up next, TCU will travel to Lawrence to take on the 17th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks on Tuesday, January 6 at 8:00 p.m. CT on ESPN.
