FORT WORTH, Texas – On a day where entertainment choices featured runners in the area for the Cowtown Marathon and knife enthusiasts attending Blade Show Texas, there was an NCAA tournament survival exercise at Schollmaier Arena.

It didn't end well for Coach Wes Miller's Cincinnati Bearcats in front of the purple-splashed crowd of 6,090.

In their first meeting in Fort Worth in nearly 21 years, TCU got its first-ever win over UC, decisively dumping the Bearcats 75-57. It was only the second time all season UC was defeated by double digits.

"Good response, great win," TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. "(It's a) highly-rated Cincinnati team and that's good. Their KenPom (ranking) is good. That's good to see. I really liked the way we played down the stretch with a big lead."

The Horned Frogs enhanced their tournament chances, while UC's bubble spot was at least pierced and could be on life-support.

The loss was the Bearcats' fourth in the past five games since upsetting then-No. 23 Texas Tech in Lubbock.

TCU got 18 points each from JaKobe Coles and Emanuel Miller. UC's only double-figure scorer was Day Day Thomas with 13 points.

UC drops to 16-11 (5-9 Big 12). TCU is 19-8 (8-6 Big 12).

"I think I have a pretty good pulse on our team and I think the guys are pretty down about how they played," UC coach Miller said.

5 takeaways from TCU's torment of UC

1. Life in the fast lane

The Horned Frogs came into the game leading NCAA Division I schools in fast-break points with over 19 per game. They demonstrated that talent on the opening tip when Emanuel Miller redirected to Micah Peavy for a dunk two seconds into the game. TCU had 25 fast break points to UC's four.

The Horned Frogs were also successful in stopping Bearcat runs. A Simas Lukošius 3-pointer put UC up 21-20 at 7:49 in the first half, a lead they would have for just 2:13. By halftime, TCU led UC 39-32. It was the 12th time in the last 15 games UC trailed at the break.

In the second half, UC was able to cut TCU's lead to five at 49-44 on a Thomas basket, but TCU got back-to-back 3-pointers from Trevian Tennyson and Jameer Nelson Jr., plus another Nelson bucket as the Frogs opened a 57-44 lead at the under-12 timeout. The Bearcats were held to 13 points the rest of the way.

TCU's largest lead was 22 with 2:45 to play. The pedal came off the gas from there as TCU didn't score the rest of the game.

"TCU really punched us in transition," Miller said.

2. Glass kicking

UC has only been outrebounded four times all season. Two of those have come against TCU. The Frogs led in that category 33-32 Saturday.

"I thought we were very aggressive crashing the glass and grabbing those defensive rebounds," TCU senior Miller said. "Cincinnati's one of the top rebounding teams in the country. It's huge!"

3. Tandem point guards

After the Oklahoma State loss, many wondered why there wasn't more of Thomas and Jizzle James on the floor at the same time. Saturday Thomas played nearly 30 minutes with James a shade over 25. Thomas had a team-high 13 points with two assists and two turnovers. James was held to a 2-of-11 day and four points with three assists and four turnovers.

"I thought it was really good in the first half," Miller said. "It wasn't quite as good in the second half. We believe in our guys. We're going to keep playing with the guys that want to work, want to fight, that care. I think we have a locker room full."

4. Ball security again an issue

While it wasn't like the 25-turnover Iowa State debacle, TCU still forced 17 Bearcats turnovers while committing 12. More importantly, they had 16 points off turnovers to UC's three.

5. Bus homework

UC had a four-hour bus ride in front of them as the team elected to stay in Texas rather than return home. A loss makes a bus ride less festive and Miller said UC would look at the TCU video rather than moving on to how to stop Houston.

"I think you take something from everything," Miller said. "We've got to learn from this. I think all of us, coaches, players included got to look in the mirror and figure out what in the heck we can all do to be a little better because we weren't good enough."

Lakhin returns

After playing one second in the last two games, Viktor Lakhin entered Saturday's contest at 13:46 of the first half. He played for 14:32, with two points, two rebounds, two assists and two fouls.

Tourney talk

"You don't get out of the NCAA tournament this time of year, you don't make the tournament this time of year," Miller said. "You play in the Big 12 every night's an opportunity. I think it's very dangerous to be consumed with that as a team."

Texas 2-step

This is the most demanding road swing of the season as Houston looms Tuesday. Houston is No. 1 in the NCAA NET rankings and KenPom.com and should be atop the Associated Press poll Monday after Connecticut's loss and their 82-76 overtime win at Baylor Saturday.

UC women get Texas 'W'

In Lubbock, Coach Katrina Merriweather's Bearcats beat Texas Tech 68-56. Reagan Jackson had 16 points and Jillian Hayes had 15 points and 10 rebounds. The UC women are 13-14 (5-11 Big 12).

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Observations from Cincinnati Bearcats Big 12 basketball loss at TCU