TCU
5-3,0-0Big 12
Notre Dame
7-3,0-0ACC
Horned Frogs Fall to Fighting Irish in Overtime, 87-85
12/5/2025 11:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Punch scores career-high 20 points
FORT WORTH – TCU led for most of the game, but fell to Notre Dame, 87-85, in overtime in a 3-point-filled game at Schollmaier Arena on Friday.
The Horned Frogs (5-3) led by as many as 11 points in the first half behind a season-best 63.0 percent shooting in the period. After a 45-36 lead at halftime, TCU surrendered the lead less than five minutes into the second half, as the Frogs shot 38.5 percent in the period.
David Punch, who finished with a career-high 20 points, made two free throws for the 10th lead change of the second half to give TCU a 72-70 advantage with two minutes to play. With the Frogs leading 75-74 following a 1-of-2 effort at the line from Punch, Jayden Pierre picked up the loose ball after the Irish threw it away. Pierre was immediately fouled and made 1-of-2 attempts at the free throw line.
With TCU leading by two, Notre Dame's Jalen Haralson made a mid-range step-back jump shot with just under three seconds remaining. A desperate half-court shot from Brock Harding was off to send the game to overtime.
TCU struggled from the field in the extra period, going 2-of-7. Notre Dame, which shot just 9-of-20 (45 percent) from the free throw line, was 6-of-10 from the line in overtime. The Frogs never led but had one remaining chance following a 1-of-2 effort at the free throw line by Braeden Shrewsberry to put the Irish up two with 8.4 seconds remaining. Punch gathered in the post and missed a guarded eight-foot hook shot.
Cole Certa and Jalen Haralson each had 20 points for the Irish, who was without leading scorer Markus Burton for much of the game after exiting with an ankle injury in the first half.
Seven Horned Frogs combined to make 12 3-pointers on 29 attempts (41.4 percent). The Fighting Irish was 12-for-26 (46.2 percent). Certa came off the bench to go 6-of-12 from three.
Joining Punch in double figures for the Frogs were Jayden Pierre with 17 points, Micah Robinson with 13 points and Brock Harding with 12 points.
TCU will have a quick turnaround and next play on Sunday at 4:30 against North Texas in the US LBM Coast-to-Coast Classic at Dickies Arena. LSU and Texas Tech play the first game of the doubleheader, which begins at 2 p.m.
TEAM NOTES
- TCU moved to 0-6 all-time against Notre Dame, which was playing its first game in Fort Worth.
- Jamie Dixon dropped to 9-7 all-time against the Irish.
- TCU moved to 109-20 against nonconference teams under Dixon, including 72-8 in Schollmaier Arena.
- TCU moved to 7-11 in overtime games under Dixon and snapped a three-game win streak in OT at home.
- TCU had 20 assists, reaching that number for the third time this season.
- The Frogs had a season-low eight turnovers.
- TCU shot 63.0 percent in the first half, the best of any half this season.
- Of the nine Frogs that played, seven made a three, including the starting five. It was the first time all five starters made a three since 2017. On Nov. 15, 2017, TCU got 3-pointers from Desmond Bane, Vladimir Brodziansky, JD Miller, Alex Robinson and Kenrich Williams in a game against South Dakota. It was the second time this season TCU had seven players make a three (Saint Francis).
- TCU led for 25:22 and Notre Dame led for 12:20.
- There were 10 ties and 13 lead changes.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- David Punch scored a career-high 20 points. He had reached 19 points three times before Friday.
- Punch was 7-of-10 from the free throw line. Both numbers were career highs.
- Punch finished with one block and has at least one block in all eight games this season. The last player with such a streak was Kevin Samuel in 2020-21 with 11.
- Punch had a team-high seven rebounds. It was the fifth time he led the team in rebounding this season.
- Brock Harding scored 12, his third-straight game in double figures.
- Harding led TCU in assists for the seventh game this season with eight.
- Harding finished with no steals for the first time this season.
- Harding had no turnovers in a game for the third time this season. He became the first TCU player to finish a game with at least eight assists and no turnovers since Jaylen Fisher had eight and zero against Texas Southern on Dec. 18, 2017.
- Jayden Pierre scored 17 points. It was his sixth game scoring in double figures.
- Pierre was 4-of-7 from 3-point range. It was his eighth-straight game with a made 3-pointer and sixth-straight with multiple 3-pointers made. Desmond Bane (2020) was the last TCU player to make multiple 3-pointers in six-straight games.
- Micah Robinson was one off a career high with 13 points.
- Robinson had a career-high four steals.
