TCU backs up its tough talk, bounces Buckeyes in 1st round

Greenville, SC — TCU There was no shortage of confidence heading into Thursday’s NCAA Tournament opener. Ohio Statewith forward david punch The set the stage for the matchup by saying he believed the Horned Frogs would beat the Buckeyes “nine times out of 10.”

he, further Xavier Edmonds That said, there’s little pressure on the Horned Frogs to support Punch’s prediction.

“His words were misunderstood a little bit and twisted a little bit,” Edmonds said. “Still, we saw it, and we felt like we had to stand up to it.”

Given Ohio State’s strong comeback from a 15-point halftime deficit, it’s hard to say what might have happened if these two had played nine more times, but on Thursday, Punch and Edmonds played well. Punch connected on a nifty pass to Edmonds in the paint with just under four seconds left to go, helping TCU advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 66–64 victory.

TCU dominated from beyond the arc in the first half, but a brutal shooting performance after the break allowed the Buckeyes to get back into the game, taking a 51–50 lead with just over seven minutes to play.

With Edmonds in foul trouble, Punch put the Frogs on his back late, however, finishing the game with 16 points, 13 boards and a pair of assists, including the go-ahead layup for Edmonds.

Ohio State had one last chance to win, but bruce thornton Couldn’t find an open man near the basket and had to settle for half-court which fell short.

The win ensured that Punch’s claim was proven accurate, but TCU failed to send a message to Ohio State.

“As a Big Ten team we just felt like they had, they haven’t felt or seen a defense like ours,” said Edmunds, who finished with 16 points and eight boards. “Being in the Big 12, and having different levels of physicality and intensity, we just wanted to go out there and show them what Big 12 basketball is all about.”