TCU Men's Basketball: TCU Tops No. 2 Houston Cougars

Frogs take down top-10 teams in consecutive games

Following a tremendous ranked win over No. 9 Oklahoma in the midweek, the TCU Horned Frogs (13-3, 2-1 Big 12) knocked off the No. 2 Houston Cougars (14-2, 1-2 Big 12) at Schollmaier Arena on Saturday.

It was TCU’s second-consecutive victory over a top-10 team as Frogs defeated the No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners just three days prior.

The Cougars jumped out to an early 23-11 lead, their largest lead (12) of the game. But the Frogs roared back with an 18-8 run to close out the half, cutting the Cougar lead to 31-29. While the Frogs cut the deficit, they shot a season-low 27.3% from the field.

Jameer Nelson Jr. hits a three over Houston's LJ Cryer / Nate Cross

Jameer Nelson Jr. hits a three over Houston's LJ Cryer.

---

Ernest Udeh Jr. (8) led the Frogs with nine rebounds in Saturday's victory over the No. 2 Houston Cougars / Nate Cross

Ernest Udeh Jr. (8) led the Frogs with nine rebounds in Saturday's victory over the No. 2 Houston Cougars.

---

JaKobe Coles (21) tries his luck from beyond the arc / Nate Cross

JaKobe Coles (21) tries his luck from beyond the arc.

---

In the second half, it was a neck-and-neck battle as two of the Big 12’s finest teams battled it out. The Frogs led by as many as seven in the second half, but faced a challenge as the Cougars made a comeback to lead 67-63 with 1:27 left in the game.

After Jamal Shead made a three-pointer to take the 4-point lead, Trevian Tennyson answered right back with a triple of his own. Down by one with 35 seconds left, Micah Peavy grabbed a rebound off a J’Wan Roberts missed free throw, quickly moving the ball up court.

Remaining patient, Avery Anderson III threaded a pass to the back door, where Emanuel Miller got the go-ahead layup to fall with just 6.7 seconds left. Houston had one last effort, but Peavy got the crucial steal off Cougar Damian Dunn to ice the game and earn the Frogs their second-consecutive top-10 victory.

oh my goodness 🫨#GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/OVvHT7BMAv

— TCU Men's Basketball (@TCUBasketball) January 14, 2024

That is now back-to-back losses for the Cougars, who dropped their Tuesday night game to Iowa State 57-53. Miller led the TCU with 13 points and was joined by Tennyson and Anderson III as the three Frogs in double-figures. Ernest Udeh Jr. led the Frogs with nine rebounds.

It wasn’t an easy night for the Frogs, who made it hard on themselves shooting 55.2% from the free-throw line. But their efficiency from 3-point range (53.3%) helped make up for the missed free throws. 

The Frogs improved to 13-3 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12. As they will enjoy this victory, all eyes turn to their next game against the Cincinnati Bearcats (12-4, 1-2 Big 12). The Bearcats have now lost two in a row, 74-73 to No. 25 Texas and 62-59 against No. 14 Baylor on Saturday. That game will be on Tuesday, January 16 at 6 p.m. (CST) on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

---

Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Killer Frogs message board community today!

Follow KillerFrogs on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest TCU news! Follow KillerFrogs on Facebook and Instagram as well. Download the KillerFrogs app on Google Play or in the Apple App Store.