TCU’s offense struggled to find rhythm against Houston’s defensive pressure as the Horned Frogs fell 65-46 to the No. 12 Cougars Monday night.
“Our offense wasn’t in flow today,” TCU head coach Jamie Dixon said. “It wasn’t as good as it has been.”
The loss dropped TCU to 8-6 overall and 1-2 in Big 12 play while Houston extended its home winning streak to 30 games.
Noah Reynolds, who earlier Monday was named Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week, led TCU with 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting but received limited offensive support. Vasean Allette added 11 points as the only other Horned Frog in double figures.
15 points for @noahreynolds21 pic.twitter.com/uyE8ZO7MDO
— TCU Men’s Basketball (@TCUBasketball) January 7, 2025
Houston controlled the game from the opening tip, racing out to a 15-4 lead. The Cougars’ defense, ranked first nationally, disrupted TCU’s offensive flow throughout the night, forcing a season-high 19 turnovers while holding the Horned Frogs to just four assists.
Emanuel Sharp paced Houston with 14 points, including four three-pointers, while J’Wan Roberts added 12 points and LJ Cryer contributed 10.
TCU managed to get to within one possession early in the second half, cutting the deficit to 29-26 on an Allette layup. However, Houston responded with a decisive 9-0 run and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
The Horned Frogs shot just 16.7% (3-of-18) from three-point range and struggled to generate consistent offense against Houston’s varying defensive looks.
“We got slowed down by the 1-3-1, and then the three-quarter court press,” Dixon said. “We were just too stationary, too slow…and didn’t get what we wanted to do.”
TCU did find success on the boards, outrebounding Houston 27-30. However, the turnover battle proved costly, with Houston converting TCU’s 19 miscues into 16 points.
Dixon noted that while his team has had plenty of practice time together, they’ll need to improve their offensive execution moving forward.
The Horned Frogs will look to bounce back when they return home to host BYU on Saturday, where they are 8-0 this season at Schollmaier Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN2.
The loss marked TCU’s 50th all-time against Houston in 76 meetings between the programs and prevented head coach Jamie Dixon from earning his 496th career victory.
