Waco, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - The TCU Horned Frogs have quite the challenge ahead, as they try to end a four-game losing streak on the road against the 19th-ranked Baylor Bears at the Ferrell Center in a Big 12 Conference matchup.
TCU started the season incredibly strong, but has seriously faltered against Big 12 competition. The Horned Frogs have lost four games in a row, and seven of their last eight altogether. They enter this clash with a 1-7 mark in conference play, and a 2-3 record away from home.
The 19th-ranked Bears from Baylor are coming off an 83-60 thrashing of Texas on Saturday. The Bears have now won three of their last four games, and have moved up to an even 4-4 in league action. At home, Baylor has proven to be extremely tough with a 12-1 record.
The two intrastate rivals will be meeting for the 175th time in history on Wednesday. Baylor owns the lead in the all-time series over TCU, 93-81, which includes an overtime 66-59 victory just under a month ago in Fort Worth.
TCU fell for the fourth straight time on Saturday against No. 15 Iowa State. The Cyclones held just a two-point halftime advantage over the Horned Frogs, but opened things up in the second half thanks to 63 percent shooting from the floor in the frame. TCU also went a dismal 1-of-8 from the free-throw line in the loss. Trey Zeigler scored 14 points to pace the squad, while Chris Washburn and Brandon Parrish each contributed 11 points in the losing effort. Karviar Shepherd pulled down a team-best seven rebounds, and Kyan Anderson dished out six assists.
Despite the league record, TCU has been able to maintain a strong scoring margin on the season, one which ranks second in the Big 12 Conference (+11.6). The Horned Frogs are netting 70.4 ppg, and allowing only 58.8 ppg to opponents (second in the league). Anderson is the only Horned Frog to average a double- digit scoring figure, however, checking in at 13.6 ppg with a team-best 82 assists. Zeigler is the next closest to double-digit scoring at 9.1 ppg, and Kenrich Williams adds in a team-high 6.7 rpg. TCU is holding its opponents to a shooting percentage of just 36.7 from the floor.
Baylor took on a tough Texas squad on Saturday in Waco, and the Bears came up with an intense offensive effort that included four double-digit scorers led by Kenny Chery's 23 points. Chery connected on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc, and narrowly edged Royce O'Neale's 20-point scoring total. Johnathan Motley and Taurean Prince each chipped in with 13 points in the win, while Rico Gathers pulled down a team-best 15 boards. Lester Medford dished out a team- high seven assists for the Bears, who shot 48.4 percent from the floor as a unit against the Longhorns.
Baylor has made a living this season on strong defensive efforts and a bevy of players that can take over a game and lead the team in scoring. Prince checks in atop the team's scoring chart at 12.2 ppg, followed by Chery's 11.8 ppg and Gathers's 10.6 ppg (adding in 12.0 rpg to lead the team and the Big 12). The Bears have six players on the team that have played in at least 16 games and are averaging 8.3 ppg or more. As a unit, Baylor is netting 69.1 ppg, and is allowing a league-low 58.2 ppg to opponents, who are connecting on just 39 percent of their shots from the field. The team also averages 10 rebounds per outing more than their opponents this season (41.2 rpg for Baylor to 32.1 rpg).
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