Woes on the court continue for the Horned Frogs (10-7, 2-3 conference) as they are facing a three-game losing streak in Mountain West Conference play.Saturday night, the Frogs’ ball-handling problems left them in a bind as the UNLV Rebels (16-4, 3-2 conference) scored 36 of their 75 points off TCU turnovers. Dribbling mishaps and heavy pressure from the Rebels’ defense ended up being a cancer to the Frogs’ offense.

The Rebels managed to score 20 first-half points off turnovers, leaving the Frogs at an 11-point deficit before retreating to the tunnel at halftime.

“The turnovers really hurt us,” head coach Neil Dougherty said. “We gave them too much of a head start.”

During the losing streak, the team has made less than 50 percent of its shots from the field, but from the ashes of defeat, junior forward Alvardo Parker has emerged as a force in the paint.

The past two games, Parker scored 33 points and made 21 rebounds while notching his first career 20-point game against the Rebels.

“I try to do my part, but we still need to step up to result in a win,” Parker said.

Parker’s performance has earned praise from Neil Dougherty.

“He just keeps getting better,” Neil Dougherty said. “He’s still new and just doesn’t know how good he is, and he’ll only get better from this point on.”

The Frogs are part of a three-way tie with the Wyoming Cowboys and the San Diego State Aztecs for fourth place in the conference. Had the Frogs won both home games last week, they would be in sole possession of second place in the conference.

“We’re catching everyone’s hot streak with who’s shooting the ball,” Neil Dougherty said.

A pair of road games face the Frogs this week. Tonight, they take the court in Colorado Springs, Colo., against the No. 13/11 Air Force Falcons and Saturday, they take on the Wyoming Cowboys.

Returning from a losing streak against a ranked opponent is not of great concern to the Frogs, senior point guard Neil P. Dougherty said.

“I don’t think we’re too down about it, but we have work in front of us,” he said.

While on the road this season, the Frogs are 1-3, but a home crowd is not necessarily always advantageous for the squad.

“We are not a different animal at home,” Neil Dougherty said. “We are the same creature no matter where we play.