TCU sends West Virginia to 0-5 mark in Big 12

FORT WORTH, Texas — Desmond Bane scored 26 points to lead six TCU players in double figures as the Horned Frogs beat West Virginia, 98-67, on Tuesday night, sending the Mountaineers to their first 0-5 conference record in 23 years.

TCU (13-3, 2-2 Big 12) got off a slow start, missing seven of its first eight shots before runs of 13-0 and 11-0 in the first half staked the Horned Frogs to a 20-point halftime lead.

The last time the Mountaineers (8-9, 0-5) lost their first five conference games was in their inaugural Big East season in 1995-96, which was 11 years before Bob Huggins became their coach. This is West Virginia’s seventh season in the Big 12, same as TCU.

Alex Robinson had 14 points and 10 assists for the Horned Frogs, whose 31-point margin of victory was its biggest in a Big 12 game since joining the league. It was the most-lopsided Big 12 loss for the Mountaineers, who trailed by as many as 35 points.

JD Miller added 13 points for TCU, and Kouat Noi and Lat Mayen had 12 each. Kevin Samuel scored 10 points.

James Bolden led West Virginia with 15 points, and Wesley Harris had 13.

Bane’s jumper after his offensive rebound just less than five minutes into the game made it 6-5 and put the Frogs ahead to stay, and their next basket was Bane’s putback slam after Miller missed a breakaway layup.

The Mountaineers had won 12 of the previous 13 meetings against TCU but never had a chance in this one after TCU had its first big run. During the last media timeout with 3 minutes, 58 seconds left, the WVU bench was assessed with a technical foul, and the Frogs made four free throws when play resumed.

The frustrated Mountaineers had another technical foul after that.