David Punch scores 17 points and TCU tops Wisconsin for Rady Children’s Invitational championship

SAN DIEGO (AP) — David Punch led a balanced offense with 17 points and TCU defeated Wisconsin 74-63 on Friday in the championship game of the Rady Children’s Invitational.

Brock Harding scored 16 points, Xavier Edmonds 12, and Jayden Pierre and Liutauras Lelevicius 11 each for the Horned Frogs (5-2).

John Blackwell scored 30 points for Wisconsin (5-2) and Nick Boyd added 15.

TCU built a 10-point lead in the first five minutes and led by double digits for most of the first half. The Horned Frogs were ahead 41-28 with 3 1/2 minutes left before halftime but Wisconsin closed with a 9-0 run to trail only 41-37.

TCU scored the first eight points of the second half and a 7-0 run a few minutes later put the Horned Frogs up 61-42 with 11 1/2 minutes remaining.

The margin was still 19 points with 10 minutes to go when TCU went 0-for-6 in a 5-minute stretch that saw Wisconsin get to within 65-53. A layup by a Andrew Rohde had Wisconsin within 70-63 with two minutes to go but the Badgers missed their last six shots and did not score again.

Up next

TCU: Notre Dame visits on Friday

Wisconsin: Hosts Northwestern in a Big Ten opener on Wednesday

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