TCU Outpaces Oral Roberts in Comfortable Victory

After a nail-biting win a couple nights ago, the TCU Horned Frogs were able to cruise against Oral Roberts.

TCU guard Jayden Pierre (1) drives to the basket in the Horned Frogs' 72-53 win over Oral Roberts on Dec. 18, 2025 from Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, TX. | Parker Neal - KillerFrogs.com for TCU On SI

In what had to be a pleasant change of pace for head coach Jamie Dixon and his team, the TCU Horned Frogs cruised to a comfortable 72-53 win over the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles at Schollmaier Arena on Dec. 18.

The Frogs (8-3) opened the game on a 17-6 run that pretty much put the game away immediately. Led by forward David Punch, who shot 6-of-9 from the field and once again had a fantastic outing that saw him put up a game-high 17 points, the Frogs got up early and never looked back.

Dixon’s squad was up 38-25 at the end of the first half and roared out to a 49-27 lead just five minutes into the second. From there, the Horned Frogs were on cruise control, something they haven’t been able to say for a little while, especially after their flirtation with disaster against Incarnate Word just several nights ago.

Punch and Pierre Take the Reins

Nov 28, 2025; San Diego, CA, USA; Texas Christian University Horned Frogs forward David Punch (15) reacts against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second half at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images | Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images

When Punch is on the floor, everybody knows who the No. 1 option for the Frogs is. His exceptional play this season has elevated his stock even higher than it was when the year began. After his performance against Oral Roberts, the 6-foot-7 sophomore from Harker Heights is now averaging 14.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He leads TCU in both categories.

After the win against Incarnate Word, Punch said that one of the biggest reasons he’s able to succeed is that he just “wants it more.” Coming off the victory over Oral Roberts, he echoed that same sentiment.

“It’s my job to score,” Punch said. “It’s what I work on, and I have to continue to show it. And just to continue to tap into my motor. That’s been the biggest thing that’s got me here, so why stop using it?”

Then there’s Jayden Pierre, who had another good outing with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including two made baskets from beyond the arc. Pierre’s been a player that the Frogs have seen put up sizable scoring numbers — he scored 18 points versus Lamar, 17 against Kansas City and another 17 in the loss to Notre Dame. Should he be able to continue this type of production moving forward, then he can add his name to the list of impressive guards in TCU history.

What’s Next for the Horned Frogs?

With 11 games under their belt, the Horned Frogs have just two more nonconference matchups against Florida A&M and Jackson State before Big 12 competition commences on Jan. 3 against Baylor. That’s just the first game of the gauntlet, as after facing the Bears, TCU will travel to play Kansas on Jan. 6, come back home and match up with No. 1 Arizona, and then go on the road to Provo to suit up against a talented BYU team.