WACO, Texas _ TCU couldn't overcome a slow start on Saturday afternoon.
No. 1 Baylor showed why it's the top team in the country with a dominant 68-52 victory at the Ferrell Center, fending off any threat TCU showed in the second half.
Baylor (19-1, 8-0 Big 12) has now won a program-record 18 consecutive games and remains the Big 12's only unbeaten team in league play. Junior guard MaCio Teague had a team-high 19 points, including a season-high five 3-pointers.
TCU (13-8, 4-4 Big 12), meanwhile, has now lost five of its last six. Four of those five losses have been by double digits. Leading scorer Desmond Bane was held scoreless in the opening half before finishing with 14 points in the second half.
TCU shot just 28.6% from 3-point range (6 for 21), and were outrebounded 37-31. The Horned Frogs also turned the ball over 15 times, which led to 19 points off turnovers for the Bears.
An early hole proved to be too much for TCU to overcome in a hostile environment.
With the game tied at 17-17 with 8 minutes, 1 second left in the first half, Baylor went on a 14-0 run to take a 31-17 lead. The Bears dominated over a 6-minute, 11-second stretch.
TCU went 0 for 6 from the field, including three missed 3-pointers. The Horned Frogs also turned it over three times and had two shots blocked.
Baylor capitalized on two of those turnovers with 3-pointers by Teague.
TCU's Kevin Samuel ended the scoring drought with a basket with 1:50 left, but the damage had been done. Baylor closed the half with a 3-pointer by Matthew Mayer to take a 35-24 lead into the locker rooms.
The Frogs shot just 26.7% from the field (8 for 30), including 2 for 12 from 3-point range, in the opening half. They also had nine turnovers.
TCU showed fight in the second half, going on an 8-0 run to pull to within 51-45 with 8:53 left. But the Horned Frogs never got within one possession in the second half.
TCU returns to action at Oklahoma State on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in Stillwater.
