EditorsNote: tweaks headline; moves up TCU futility; minor edits throughout
Will Baker scored a career-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting as short-handed Texas shrugged off a ragged start and outlasted visiting TCU 70-56 on Wednesday in Big 12 Conference play at Austin, Texas.
Baker, a 6-foot-11 freshman who had only 16 combined points in the 17 games he's played in this season before Wednesday's contest, hit four of his six 3-point attempts as Texas snapped a four-game losing streak.
TCU lost for the seventh time in eight games.
Texas (15-11, 5-8 Big 12) trailed by as many as seven points early and by two points at the half before assuming command early in the second half. The Longhorns finally put away TCU in the closing minute as Andrew Jones made a 3-pointer with 59 seconds left to push the Texas lead to 60-53.
The Longhorns' defense was the difference, especially after halftime, as TCU shot just 24.1 percent (7 of 29) in the second half. The Horned Frogs missed all 10 of their shots from beyond the arc over the final 20 minutes.
Jones scored 21 points to lead Texas, while Courtney Ramey scored 15 points and Kai Jones 10. The Longhorns played without starting point guard Matt Coleman III, who has a heel injury, and forward Jericho Sims, who has been ruled out for the rest of the regular season with a back injury.
Desmond Bane led the Horned Frogs (14-12, 5-8) with 13 points, all of which came in the first half. Jaire Grayer and Kevin Samuel added 11 points apiece for TCU. Samuel took a game-high 12 rebounds in defeat.
Both teams shot well in the first half, after which the Horned Frogs led 38-36. TCU hit 63 percent of its shots from the floor, and the Longhorns answered with a 15-of-26 showing from the field that included going 5-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Baker scored 15 points in the half, with Andrew Jones adding 10 for Texas. Bane countered with 13 points for TCU.
--Field Level Media
