Playing without starting center Ernest Udeh Jr., TCU men’s basketball suffered their first loss of the season Friday night, falling to Michigan 76-64 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The Horned Frogs struggled from the field, shooting just 34%. With Udeh sidelined due to a back injury from the previous game against Texas State, TCU was outrebounded by Michigan 41-29.
Trazarien White led all TCU scorers with 16 points. Brendan Wenzel made all five of TCU’s three-pointers, shooting 5-of-9 from beyond the arc while the rest of the team went 0-for-10 from the three-point range.
Brendan… 3-of-4 from three pic.twitter.com/aT7PXPxvO5
— TCU Men’s Basketball (@TCUBasketball) November 15, 2024
Freshman David Punch, making his first career start in place of Udeh, became the first true freshman to start for TCU since Mike Miles Jr. in the 2020-21 season. Punch finished with six points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes of action.
Despite forcing Michigan into 21 turnovers, including 16 in the first half, the Horned Frogs couldn’t capitalize on the Wolverines’ mistakes. Michigan shot an efficient 50% from the field and hit nine three-pointers to maintain control throughout the contest.
TCU’s only lead came early in the first half at 10-9 following a Vasean Allette free throw. The Frogs showed resilience before halftime, scoring the final six points to cut Michigan’s lead to 34-31 at the break.
The Wolverines extended their lead to 11 midway through the second half before TCU mounted a comeback. A layup by freshman Micah Robinson brought the Frogs within two points at 60-58 with 6:55 remaining. However, TCU’s offense went cold down the stretch, converting just one of their final eight shot attempts as Michigan pulled away for their largest lead of the game.
Former Michigan guard Frankie Collins, facing his old team, contributed seven points, including a highlight-reel one-handed dunk in the second half, and led TCU with three assists.
🚨 @Frankiecollins0 🚨 pic.twitter.com/GxF9BO2lb4
— TCU Men’s Basketball (@TCUBasketball) November 16, 2024
Danny Wolf powered Michigan’s effort with a double-double, recording 14 points and 14 rebounds.
The Horned Frogs will look to bounce back Tuesday when they host Alcorn State. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
