Despite shooting a season-best 58.8% from 3-point range, TCU fell to Vanderbilt 83-74 Sunday afternoon at Dickies Arena in a game featuring 13 ties and 15 lead changes.
The Horned Frogs saw four players reach double figures but struggled with ball control, committing a season-high 18 turnovers while shooting just 53.8% from the free-throw line.
Vanderbilt was led by Jason Edwards’ 30-point performance, with the Commodores capitalizing at the free throw line by hitting 27 of 33 attempts.
TCU held the advantage through much of the first half but entered halftime trailing 41-38 after Tyler Nickel’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer for Vanderbilt.
David Punch provided a spark for TCU in the second half, throwing down back-to-back dunks to give the Frogs their final lead at 56-55 with just over 10 minutes remaining. Punch finished with a career-high 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting and matched his career best with seven rebounds.
Punch is up to a season-high 11 points, along with three other Frogs.
Vanderbilt 61 – TCU 58 | 7:49 2H pic.twitter.com/kkCDCMFdxN
— TCU Men’s Basketball (@TCUBasketball) December 8, 2024
Brendan Wenzel shot perfectly from beyond the arc, going 3-for-3 from deep to finish with 11 points. Ernest Udeh Jr. and Trazarien White also scored 11 points each, with White connecting on both of his 3-point attempts. The balanced scoring attack helped TCU shoot 49% from the field overall.
Frankie Collins contributed a season-high seven assists to lead the Frogs’ offense, but TCU’s turnover troubles prevented them from building momentum in crucial stretches of the second half.
Despite the strong perimeter shooting, TCU’s struggles from the free-throw line proved costly. The Frogs missed 12 free throws, going 14-for-26 from the stripe, while Vanderbilt consistently converted their opportunities.
The Frogs now hold a 5-4 overall record.
TCU returns to action on Monday, Dec. 16, hosting South Alabama at 7 p.m. The game will broadcast on ESPN+.
