Houston guard Jamal Shead (1) drives past Central Florida guard DeMarr Langford Jr. (12) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday in Orlando, Fla.

Associated Press

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Emanuel Miller scored 21 points and TCU rode a hot start to a 93-81 victory over West Virginia on Wednesday night.

Jameer Nelson Jr. added 17 points, Micah Peavy scored 16 and Chuck O’Bannon 11 for TCU (20-10, 9-8 Big 12). The Horned Frogs broke a two-game losing streak and have won 20 games for the sixth time in eight seasons under coach Jamie Dixon.

Jesse Edwards scored a career-high 36 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, RaeQuan Battle added 13 points and Quinn Slazinski scored 11 for West Virginia (9-21, 4-13). All three were honored in a Senior Night ceremony before the game.

West Virginia has lost four straight for the second time this season. After Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins’ messy exit and the naming of Josh Eilert as interim coach last summer, the Mountaineers are heading for their worst record since going 8-20 in the 2001-02 season.

TCU built a double-digit lead in the first half for the second straight game. Unlike an 87-75 loss to No. 20 BYU on Saturday, the Horned Frogs held on this time against the Big 12’s worst defense.

TCU tied a season high with 11 3-pointers and never trailed. Nelson scored the first five points, O’Bannon hit a pair of 3-pointers and TCU raced to a 15-4 lead five minutes into the game.

TCU’s lead grew to 43-20 with 5:29 left in the first half after O’Bannon hit a layup and a 3-pointer a minute apart. The Horned Frogs, who led 53-38 at halftime, shot 64% (18 of 28) from the floor in the first half and 55.6% (30 of 54) for the game.

West Virginia shot the ball better from the floor at 57% (29 of 51) but made just 19 of 34 free throws and only four 3-pointers.

TCU went more than four minutes without a field goal and West Virginia trimmed the deficit to 85-75 on an Edwards free throw with 3:07 left in the game but the Mountaineers got no closer.

TCU hosts UCF in the regular season finale on Saturday while West Virginia plays at Cincinnati.

No. 1 Houston 67, UCF 59

ORLANDO, Fla. — L.J. Cryer scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half to lift No. 1 Houston to a come-from-behind 67-59 victory over UCF on Wednesday night and clinch at least a share of the regular-season Big 12 title in the Cougars’ first season in the conference.

Houston (27-3, 14-3) led by nine points after a Cryer 3-pointer with 2:18 to play. UCF (15-14, 6-11) closed to within four with just over a minute to play, and then Cryer hit another clutch shot to pull away for the win.

The Cougars trailed by as many as seven points and never led in the first half. They did not take their first lead until Jamal Shead drained a 3 to make it 45-42 with about 12 minutes to play in the second half.

Houston’s defense stifled UCF throughout the second half, holding them to one field goal over nearly five minutes to take control of the game.

Shead finished with 16 points and eight assists. J’Wan Roberts had 12 points and seven rebounds. Cryer shot 9 of 17 from the floor, including 5 of 11 on 3-pointers.

C.J. Walker led UCF with 15 points. Jaylin Sellers added 12 points.

The Knights shot 45.5% for the game. They held the Cougars to 37.5% shooting and 2 for 11 from 3 in the first half.

Houston forced 18 turnovers and scored 22 points off them.

UCF had just four points off 10 turnovers.

BIG PICTURE

Houston: The Cougars can clinch an outright conference title with a win in their last game of the regular season against No. 14 Kansas on Saturday or a loss by sixth-ranked Iowa State in either of its two remaining games.

UCF: The Knights need one more win to guarantee they will finish above .500 and get in position to receive one of the Big 12’s automatic bids to the NIT.

UP NEXT

Houston: At home against Kansas on Saturday.

UCF: Closes its regular season Saturday on the road against TCU.