Killer Frogs

TCU Rallies Past West Virginia to Boost NCAA Tournament Resume

The Horned Frogs erased a second-half deficit and closed strong to secure a critical Big 12 win over West Virginia
Nick Girimonte|
Brock Harding handles the ball in TCU's 60-54 win over West Virginia on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Brock Harding handles the ball in TCU's 60-54 win over West Virginia on Saturday, February 21, 2026. | X: @TCUBasketball

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TCU Horned FrogsWest Virginia Mountaineers

TCU fans are starting to get used to these comeback wins at home. In a 60-54 win over West Virginia Saturday, it became the fourth straight home win the Frogs finished on a big run in their favor.

This game was everything: a gritty, defensive style game between two teams with great defenses and offenses that have a tendency to struggle. TCU's 60 points in a win were their fewest since January 22, 2022, at Iowa State, when the Frogs scored 59.

The game started out with lower scoring than even the final score would indicate. Through the first eight minutes of the contest, West Virginia led by a score of just 9-4.

The only player giving TCU a jolt offensively in the first 20 minutes was Liutauras Lelevicius. The Oregon State transfer came off the bench, scoring 14 of the Frogs' 30 first-half points, shooting 4-5 from the field and 3-3 from three-point range.

That would be enough to give Jamie Dixon's squad a 30-25 lead at the end of the half. However, that lead would quickly go away.

West Virginia started the second half on a 14-7 run second-half taking the lead back with 12:26 left to play. That second half lead would balloon to 49-43 with under eight minutes to go, and once again, the Frogs would have to pull off some magic at home.

The spark came from Brock Harding and David Punch who hit all six TCU field goals from the eight minute mark on. From the eight-minute mark, the Frogs outscored the Mountaineers 17-5, resulting in the 60-54 win in the purple and white's favor.

Xavier Edmonds was TCU's star player again in this one, pouring in 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. It is the eighth double-double in the last nine games for the JUCO product.

This win was massively important for TCU's NCAA Tournament hopes. On Joe Lunardi's Bracketology, entering the game, they were the first team left out of the field.

While the Frogs have a manageable schedule for the rest of the season as far as Big 12 schedules go, they still have to win the games they should. This one at home against West Virginia was a great start.

Up next, the Frogs host Arizona State on Tuesday before two road contests at Kansas State and Texas Tech. They will finish the regular season at home against Cincinnati.

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Nicholas Girimonte
NICK GIRIMONTE

Nick Girimonte, a senior at Texas Christian University majoring in Communication Studies with a minor in Journalism, is passionate about media, storytelling, and sports. Originally from Windsor, CA, Nick moved to Fort Worth, TX in 2021 to pursue his career goals. He has gained diverse hands-on experience as an on-air talent for Frogs Today, covering TCU sports, and as a writer and podcast host for TCU Horned Frogs on SI. Nick specializes in covering both men’s and women’s basketball. His podcast, “Frog Fever,” covers TCU and Big 12 Men’s Basketball. Additionally, he works with the TCU Football video crew, contributing to game footage and analysis. Nick has also held roles with the Texas Rangers, Barstool Sports, and Austin Industries, where he worked on social media content, event planning, and brand visibility. Nick is excited to contribute to TCU Horned Frogs On SI and looks forward to his next sports communication journey after graduation in May 2025.

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