TCU men’s basketball opened Big 12 play with an impressive 69-63 win over rival Baylor on Saturday at Schollmaier Arena.

It’s the first time since Feb. 29, 2020, that the Horned Frogs defeated the Bears in Fort Worth, snapping a five-game home losing streak to Baylor.

“I liked how we did it. The defense, the rebounding, that was the emphasis,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “Our three goals were to outrebound them by 10, hold them below their offensive rebound numbers, five 3s or less, and transition points, which we really got them on. It was a really good 40 minutes.”

Up by double digits most of the second half, TCU (11-3, 1-0) held a 64-58 lead with 3:23 remaining. A shot clock violation got Baylor (10-3, 0-1) the ball back, and the Bears capitalized with two free throws by sophomore guard Cameron Carr to cut TCU’s lead to 64-60 with 2:23 remaining.

After a traveling violation, TCU needed to come up with a stop and got it, as sophomore guard Jace Posey forced an airball from Carr on a 3-pointer. Sophomore forward David Punch put the game away with a spinning post hook over a Baylor defender with 28.3 seconds remaining.

“It was fun. We know what it takes to win a Big 12 game now,” said junior center Xavier Edmonds, who scored 12 points in his Big 12 debut.

It was a pivotal win for the Horned Frogs, who had to overcome a loaded Baylor roster that includes projected first-round NBA draft picks Carr and freshman guard Tounde Yessoufou. Carr led Baylor with 17 points, while Yessoufou was limited to 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

The Bears also had a former NBA player at their disposal. Seven-foot center James Nnaji was a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons, who then traded his rights to the Charlotte Hornets. Nnaji’s rights were traded to the New York Knicks in 2024 as a part of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade.

Nnaji played overseas in Spain until he got a call from the Bears to suit up in Waco. Nnaji was eligible to play under NCAA rules, creating controversy around the signing and what it could mean for the future of college basketball.

Dixon was one of the few who didn’t seem bothered by Baylor coach Scott Drew’s signing of Nnaji.

“I talked to Scott and said, ‘You’re famous now,’” Dixon joked. “It is what it is. They’re committed, they’re going to find ways over there, and it’s not against the rules. You’ve got to spend money, and that’s what they did.”

Nnaji didn’t have much impact on the game. He finished with five points, four rebounds and four fouls in 16 minutes and was met with loud boos from TCU fans every time he touched the ball.

The Horned Frogs led the entire first half with a strong defensive effort that limited Baylor to just 36% shooting in the opening 20 minutes.

TCU also got a boost from its 3-point shooting, as the Horned Frogs knocked down five 3s to take a 29-23 lead at halftime. Oregon State transfer Liutauras Lelevicius led the way with eight crucial points as scoring came at a premium early between the two rivals.

The Horned Frogs took full control in the second half with less than 10 minutes to play. After Baylor cut the lead to 52-45, TCU responded with a 9-2 run sparked by Edmonds.

Edmonds knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key and then the Horned Frogs added four straight free throws to extend the lead to 59-45. After Nnaji responded with a basket, junior guard Brock Harding forced a turnover and got into transition for a layup.

His shot was blocked, but Micah Robinson was in the right place to put back the miss and give TCU a 61-47 lead with 6:22 remaining.

Edmonds and Robinson played critical roles down the stretch as Baylor did a good job of limiting Punch early in the game. Robinson played power forward for long stretches and posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

“It really was just pursuing the ball,” Robinson said. “That’s been something they’ve been constantly on me and the whole team about. One of our assistants brought up a stat that it is a very small percentage of rebounds that are gotten by the first guy that touches it. So a lot of times it’s off of a tip, so I was really trying to go to the ball where was at.”

Punch came alive in the second half and scored all 11 of his points in the final 20 minutes, while Lelevicius ended up with 11 points.

The Horned Frogs needed to start Big 12 play with a win as the program prepares for a three-game gauntlet against No. 17 Kansas, No. 1 Arizona and No. 10 BYU. TCU will next play the Jayhawks on the road at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse.

This story was originally published January 3, 2026 at 3:28 PM.

Steven Johnson

Fort Worth Star-Telegram