Men’s Basketball: TCU defeats Wisconsin to win the Rady Children’s Invitational

Riding the momentum from their first-round upset of the reigning National Champion Florida Gators, the TCU Horned Frogs continued their surge by defeating the Wisconsin Badgers 74–63 in the Rady Children’s Invitational Championship.

In front of a raucous Wisconsin crowd, TCU went wire-to-wire in a resounding win. The Horned Frogs opened with a 14–4 burst, showcasing a well-balanced offense and an attacking defense from the start. During this stretch, David Punch scored four points, grabbed two rebounds, dished out an assist, and recorded a block. It wasn’t all Punch, though—every TCU starter scored over the first 10 minutes of action, helping the Frogs build a 23–13 advantage.

Over the next few minutes, the Frogs stretched the lead to 14 points, keeping Wisconsin from gaining any early momentum. TCU eclipsed the 40-point mark with over three minutes left in the first half. However, Wisconsin’s John Blackwell had other plans. The junior guard went on a personal 7–0 run to close the half, converting a layup, knocking down a triple, and drilling a tough fallaway jumper as time expired. TCU ended the first half with only a four-point advantage following Blackwell’s scoring barrage.

Just as in the first half, the Horned Frogs started the second on fire. TCU scored the first eight points after the break, building a quick 12-point lead within the opening four minutes. Blackwell finally halted the run with Wisconsin’s first bucket of the half, but the Frogs kept rolling. A Brock Harding three-pointer pushed the margin to 14 just five minutes into the final frame. Another Harding triple, followed by a Micah Robinson slam, gave TCU its largest lead of the game—17 points—at the 12:25 mark.

The Frogs then went up by 19 points, continuing to generate quality looks while stymying the Badgers defensively. Wisconsin didn’t reach the 50-point mark until the 7:15 mark. After picking up the pace and applying full-court pressure, the Badgers mounted a minor comeback, cutting the deficit to seven. But a Punch flush with 1:41 left dashed any remaining hopes of a rally. Wisconsin never got back within single digits as TCU cruised to a 74–63 win in San Diego.

The Horned Frogs never trailed in the 11-point win, leading by as many as 19. TCU shot 46.7 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from three-point range. The Frogs outrebounded the Badgers despite a size disadvantage and pestered Wisconsin throughout, forcing 17 turnovers. Their point-of-attack, trapping defense gave the Badgers fits, forcing tough shots and constant long skip passes. Wisconsin shot just 34.5 percent from the floor and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc. The 63 points marked the Badgers’ lowest scoring output of the season.

Harding took home tournament MVP honors after a 16-point, five-assist performance against Wisconsin. He finished the Invitational averaging 17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 3.0 steals. Punch was also stellar in both games, following his strong opener with a 17-point, nine-rebound outing against the Badgers. In addition, every TCU starter reached double figures in scoring. Wisconsin, meanwhile, was far less balanced, as John Blackwell and Nick Boyd accounted for 45 of the team’s 63 points. Blackwell finished with 30, and Boyd added 15.

The Horned Frogs will return home to Texas, but their schedule won’t get any easier. Next up, TCU hosts the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Friday, December 5, at 7:00 p.m. CT.