GREENVILLE, S.C.
TCU men’s basketball’s quest for the program’s first Sweet 16 trip came to end Saturday, as the No. 9-seeded Horned Frogs fell 81-58 to overall No. 1 seed Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m certainly proud of our team, proud of how we handled some adversity today and still had the lead with 16 minutes left,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “We certainly had a lot of adversity early on in the game and into the second half, but just proud of how they battled.”
After trailing by four at halftime, TCU (23-12) started the second half hot, briefly taking a 40-38 lead thanks to a 6-0 run. The teams exchanged blows, and the game was tied at 44 with 13:56 remaining.
But that’s when the game turned. Duke (34-2) went on a 24-6 run over the next seven minutes as fouls quickly began to stack up on the Horned Frogs.
TCU center Xavier Edmonds reacts after being called for a foul against Duke during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. Jared C. Tilton Getty Images
TCU went over four minutes without scoring at one point. It didn’t help that third-team All-Big 12 forward Xavier Edmonds played just two minutes in the second half due to foul trouble. The junior center fouled out with six minutes remaining.
“Obviously we had some challenges,” Dixon said. “Guys had foul trouble. Our rotation wasn’t what we wanted it to be. I think our defense wasn’t the way we wanted it to be. But the rebounding sticks out. I think we were not physical enough to come up with the rebounds. Having guys not available was a big factor. We had the lead, but things didn’t seem to go our way after that.”
TCU forward Xavier Edmonds (24) and guard Brock Harding (2) defend Duke forward Maliq Brown (6) in the first half Saturday during the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Arena in Greenville, S.C. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com
Sophomore forward Micah Robinson led TCU with 18 points.
Duke advances to face the winner of Sunday’s game between No. 4 seed Kansas and No. 5 St. John’s in the Sweet 16.
Here are three more takeaways from the game:
Big man battle
Despite sharing the court with potential National Player of the Year Cameron Boozer and another former five-star recruit in Patrick Ngongba, Edmonds was the best big man on the floor in the first half Saturday.
Edmonds outplayed Boozer in the first half, outscoring him 12-2, helping to keep TCU in the game while sophomore forward David Punch was limited to two first-half points.
TCU forward David Punch (15) comes out of the game bloody in the first half against Duke on Saturday during the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Arena in Greenville, S.C. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com
Punch took two elbows to the face and was bleeding throughout the first half, and he drew a flagrant-one foul on Boozer late in the second half. As productive as Edmonds was in the first, he picked up three fouls, including his third with just 50.9 seconds remaining in the half.
Edmonds missed large chunks of the second half, as he picked up his fourth foul with 14:27 remaining after he didn’t start the second due to the fouls. Edmonds went scoreless in the second half, while Punch was held to just four points and two rebounds.
“I honestly feel like I didn’t show enough,” Edmonds said. “I fouled out early and could’ve did more in the second half.”
Boozer picked up most of his points with the game already decided. He finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Picking up the slack
The Horned Frogs had success against Boozer in the first half. However, TCU didn’t have the same type of success slowing down his wingman, sophomore guard Isaiah Evans, who was Duke’s primary scoring option in the first 20 minutes.
Duke’s Cameron Boozer (12) is pressured by TCU’s David Punch (15) during the first half of Duke’s game against TCU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
He knocked down two 3-pointers and scored 13 in the first half to help the Blue Devils lead 38-34 at halftime despite the lack of production from Boozer. The ACC Player of the Year came alive in the second half with 17 points, but the role players on the Blue Devils allowed Boozer time to find his rhythm.
Evans finished with 17 points, while freshman Dame Sarr added 14 points and four 3-pointers. Sarr was just 2-of-17 from 3 in postseason play entering Saturday.
Duke forward Isaiah Evans (3) drives to the basket against TCU forward David Punch in the first half Saturday during the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Arena in Greenville, S.C. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com
“He’s a good player,” TCU senior guard Jayden Pierre said. “They made adjustments. We came out, and we had a good game plan for [Boozer]. Some of the other guys going early, and he was able to find his groove later after we started to have to help on them.”
Free throw disparity
It wouldn’t be a Duke game if officiating didn’t play some type of role in the outcome. Many TCU fans will likely lament the foul disparity between the two teams. Duke entered the bonus with over 10 minutes remaining in the first and second halves and shot 23 free throws compared to 10 for the Horned Frogs.
Duke’s Cameron Boozer (right) pulls in the rebound against TCU’s Liutauras Lelevicius (3) during the first half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
“They made all their free throws. That stood out,” Dixon said. “We only got to the line [10 times]. We’re a team that gets to the line a lot. We lead the [Big 12] in free throw attempts, didn’t happen today.”
After TCU tied the game at 44 on a layup from Pierre, the amount of whistles increased, with Duke going on a 9-0 run as Boozer and his twin Cayden converted back-to-back three point plays.
There was a flagrant foul assessed to junior guard Tanner Toolson and even Dixon picked up a technical foul after he argued about a missed goaltending call.
Duke forward Isaiah Evans (3) launches a shot over TCU guard Brock Harding (2) in the first half Saturday during the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Arena in Greenville, S.C. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com
Duke outscored TCU 20-6 during that decisive run, but the Horned Frogs can’t put it all on the refs. The Blue Devils also received key shots from their role players as Sarr and freshman Nikolas Khamenia hit 3s during the run.
TCU also shot 26% in the second half.
Game schedule dates, times, locations March 12 Mavericks 120, Memphis 112 March 13 Cleveland 138, Mavericks 105 March 15 Mavericks 130, Cleveland 120 March 16 New Orleans 129, Mavericks 111 March 18 Atlanta 135, Mavericks 120 March 21 vs. L.A. Clippers, 7:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV March 23 vs. Golden State, 8:30 p.m., Peacock, NBC Sports Network March 25 at Denver, 9 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV March 27 at Portland, 9 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV, NBA TV March 30 vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV March 7 TCU 73, Cincinnati 63 Big 12 Tournament (at Kansas City, Mo.) March 11 No. 6 TCU 95, No. 14 Oklahoma State 88 (second round) March 12 No. 3 Kansas 78, No. 6 TCU 73 (quarterfinals) NCAA Tournament (at Greenville, S.C.) March 19 No. 9 TCU 66, No. 8 Ohio State 64 (first round) March 21 No. 1 Duke 81, No. 9 TCU 58 (second round) March 1 TCU 65, Baylor 53 Big 12 Tournament (at Kansas City, Mo.) March 6 No. 1 TCU 63, No. 9 BYU 46 (quarterfinals) March 7 No. 1 TCU 74, No. 12 Kansas State 62 (semifinals) March 8 No. 2 West Virginia 62, No. 1 TCU 53 (championship) NCAA Tournament March 20 No. 3 TCU 86, No. 14 UC San Diego 40 March 22 vs. No. 6 Washington (at Schollmaier Arena), 9 p.m., ESPN March 26 at Philadelphia, 3:15 p.m., RSN March 28 at Philadelphia, 3:05 p.m., RSN March 29 at Philadelphia, 12:35 p.m., RSN March 30 at Baltimore, 5:35 p.m., RSN March 31 at Baltimore, 5:35 p.m., RSN April 1 at Baltimore, 11:35 a.m., RSN March 13 TCU 5, Arizona State 4 March 14 Arizona State 15, TCU 8 March 15 Arizona State 4, TCU 0 March 17 TCU 16, New Mexico State 6 (7 innings) March 20 Central Florida 18, TCU 7 March 21 vs. Central Florida, 5 p.m., ESPN+ March 22 vs. Central Florida, 1 p.m., ESPN+ March 24 at Dallas Baptist, 6 p.m., ESPN+ March 27 vs. Texas Tech, 6 p.m., ESPN+ March 28 vs. Texas Tech, 2 p.m., ESPN+ March 29 vs. Texas Tech, 1 p.m., ESPN+ March 10 Stars 2, Vegas 1 March 12 Stars 7, Edmonton 2 March 14 Stars 3, Detroit 2 (OT) March 16 Utah 6, Stars 3 March 18 Stars 2, Colorado 1 (SO) March 21 at Minnesota, 3 p.m., Victory+ March 22 vs. Vegas, 6 p.m., NHL Network, Victory+ March 24 vs. New Jersey, 7 p.m., KDFI 27, Victory+ March 26 at N.Y. Islanders, 6 p.m., Victory+ March 28 at Pittsburgh, 4 p.m., Victory+ 2026 season Aug. 29 vs. North Carolina (at Dublin), TBA Sept. 12 vs. Grambling State, TBA Sept. 19 vs. Arkansas State, TBA Sept. 26 at Central Florida, TBA Oct. 3 vs. BYU, TBA Oct. 17 at Baylor, TBA Oct. 24 vs. West Virginia, TBA Oct. 31 vs. Kansas, TBA Nov. 7 at Arizona, TBA Nov. 14 vs. Kansas State, TBA Nov. 21 vs. Utah, TBA Nov. 28 at Texas Tech, TBA 2026 season TBA vs. TBA (at Rio de Janeiro), TBA 2026 opponents (dates and times TBA; one home game will be in Rio) vs. N.Y Giants vs. Philadelphia vs. Washington vs. Arizona vs. San Francisco vs. Tampa Bay vs. Jacksonville vs. Tennessee vs. Baltimore at N.Y Giants at Philadelphia at Washington at L.A. Rams at Seattle at Green Bay at Houston at Indianapolis Feb. 21 FC Dallas 3, Toronto 2 Feb. 28 FC Dallas 0, Nashville 0 March 7 LAFC 1, FC Dallas 0 March 14 FC Dallas 3, San Diego 3 March 21 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV April 4 at D.C. United, 6:30 p.m., Apple TV April 11 vs. St. Louis, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV April 18 vs. LA Galaxy, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV April 22 vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV March 21 POWRi Racing March 28 Mopar Heaven April 11 NASCAR Racing Experience April 18 Team Texas-David Starr’s Racing School April 18 Bubble Run April 23-25 Pate Swap Meet April 25 FuelFest April 30-May 2 High Limit Racing Stockyard Stampede May 1 NASCAR Truck Series: SpeedyCash.com 250 May 2 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 May 3 NASCAR Cup Series: Wurth 400
This story was originally published March 21, 2026 at 6:53 PM.