TCU
11-5,1-2Big 12
Arizona
16-0,3-0Big 12
TCU Falls to Top-Ranked Arizona
1/10/2026 7:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Toolson comes off bench to score game-high 20 points
FORT WORTH – TCU fell behind early and was unable to take a lead against the top-ranked team in the nation Saturday afternoon in an 86-73 loss to No. 1 Arizona.
It took the Wildcats (16-0, 3-0) just over 11 minutes to amass a 20-point lead. Arizona's defense held the Horned Frogs (11-5, 1-2) to 32.1 percent shooting in the first half, which the Wildcats led 43-27.
TCU improved its shooting in the second half to 51.6 percent and scored the first seven points of the period to cut it to 43-34 with 17:43 to play. Following a called timeout, Arizona responded by scoring the next seven points.
The Wildcat lead reached 20 two minutes later, 56-36. TCU then went on a 17-7 run in which eight of the points came from Tanner Toolson. The Frogs trailed 63-53 with 9:08 to play following a Toolson put-back jumper.
Toolson sank one of his three 3-pointers to cut it to 65-58 with 6:56 remaining. TCU did not get any closer as Arizona responded by making seven of its final 10 shot attempts.
Toolson scored 17 of his game-high tying 20 points in the second half.
Brock Harding and Jayden Pierre each scored 11 points. David Punch scored 10 to go with a team-high eight rebounds.
Arizona's Koa Peat tied Toolson in points with 20 on 10-of-17 shooting from the field.
Going against one of the top rebounding and largest teams in the country, TCU was outrebounded by just six, 38-32.
The Horned Frogs will return to action on Wednesday at No. 9 BYU. The game will start at 10 p.m. CT and air on ESPN2.
TEAM NOTES
- Arizona leads the all-time series 3-2.
- TCU moved to 8-4 at home this season. The loss snaps a five-game win streak in Schollmaier Arena.
- TCU moved to 1-3 against AP Top 25 teams this season.
- TCU moved to 1-11 all-time against No. 1 ranked teams.
- TCU trailed 43-27 at halftime. The 16-point deficit tied its largest deficit at the half this season (New Orleans).
- TCU's largest deficit of 21 points with 6:30 to play tied its largest of the season (New Orleans).
- TCU had six blocks against the much taller Wildcats. Arizona had two blocks.
- The 13-point margin was the closest any team has been to Arizona in 11 games. UConn lost to Arizona, 71-67, on Nov. 19.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- David Punch scored in double-figures for the 11th-straight game with 10.
- Punch had two blocked shots. He has at least one block in all 16 games this season.
- Punch led TCU in rebounding for the 12th time this season with eight boards.
- Tanner Toolson scored a team-high 20 points. It was the second time this season and the 11th time in his career he scored 20 or more points.
- Toolson scored 17 of his points in the second half.
- Brock Harding led TCU in assists for the 13th time this season with six.
- Harding scored in double-figures for the sixth time this season and the first time in six games with 10 points.
- Jayden Pierre was 1-of-3 from 3-point range. It was his seventh-straight game with a made three.
- Xavier Edmonds was 1-of-3 from 3-point range. It was his fifth-straight game with a made three.
