TCU traded blows with Ohio State but the Horned Frogs got the knockout blow late to advance to Saturday's Second Round matchup.
It took all 40 minutes but TCU survived the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Horned Frogs staved off Ohio State 66-64 in the East Region's 8-9 game.
TCU led by as many as 15 points before the Buckeyes stormed back to take a 51-50 lead late. The Horned Frogs battled back and got some last-second theatrics to avoid another early exit in March.
The dynamic duo of David Punch and Micah Robinson led the team in their March Madness appearance.
Robinson threw down a solid 18-point performance to lead all scorers in the tightly contested matchup.
Punch went for a double-double in his debut, with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Despite the impressive outing, his shining moment was an assist on the game-winning shot to Xavier Edmonds.
Speaking of Edmonds, he dropped 16 points and grabbed eight (8) rebounds alongside his heroic game-winner.
The Horned Frogs crashed the boards and out-rebounded Ohio State 38-31, with a 12-6 edge on the offensive glass.
For Ohio State, four of its five starters broke into double figures, with the lone exception still dropping eight points.
Ohio State's all-time leading scorer Bruce Thornton was held to 10 points, while John Mobley Jr. led the squad with 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-11 from 3-point land.
However, bench points came few and far between for the Buckeyes, as they got only three points from non-starters.
The win marks the first in the tournament for TCU since 2023 and third under Jamie Dixon. While the Horned Frogs have won in March Madness, they have struggled to do it consistently.
TCU has never won multiple games in the NCAA Tournament since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. In its third trip to the Second Round, this season's squad has the chance to make history.
Standing in the way of Horned Frog history is either 1-seed Duke or 16-seed Siena, who face off later Thursday afternoon.
Regardless of opponent, TCU will be waiting for a chance at its first Sweet 16 on Saturday in Greenville, South Carolina.