Daily Skiff

The men's basketball (11-8) team will be looking to bounce back from a two-game losing streak Saturday. With a 3-3 record in the Mountain West Conference, the Horned Frogs are in a three-way tie for third place.

The Frogs' opponent, the Air Force Falcons (11-8, 3-3) will also be looking to rebound from a loss after losing to Brigham Young on Wednesday night.

So far this season, the Falcons are shooting 45 percent from the field and just under 40 percent from behind the arc. Air Force is also plus 30 in the turnover margin and senior Tim Anderson leads the team with 15.5 points per game.

Last season, TCU and Air Force split their two games during the regular season; both teams' wins were at home. The Falcons embarrassed the Frogs in Colorado Springs, Colo., 72-39, TCU's most lopsided loss of the year. In its blow-out win, the Falcons shot better than 50 percent from behind the arc. As a team, they also shot 61 percent from the field.

The Frogs avenged its worst loss of last season with its best win, beating the No. 13 ranked Falcons in the next matchup 71-66.

"In practice we have reminded our players about (Air Force's) shooting ability," head coach Neil Dougherty said. "Air Force is a team that consistently shoots well and you have to be ready to defend the jump shot."

In TCU's upset win last season, the team played strong defense that led to 24 points off of turnovers and 11 fast-break points.

"Air Force is not a bad team," said senior guard Brent Hackett. "We have to play a lot of intensity and play smart defense against Air Force."

Also in the win, TCU's bench played a big role, outscoring Air Force's bench 32-9. Dougherty said he will look to try and use the bench against them Saturday.

"We would like to make the bench a factor in the game," Dougherty said. "We will figure out what our exact strategy will be during practice."

Dougherty said TCU has to be ready to defend against the Falcons' offense for the full 40 minutes, and hitting shots from the field early is a must.

As far as motivation goes, Dougherty said he feels his team will be ready and focused to play Saturday, hoping to stop the losing streak.

"We might show the guys some clips from when they beat us pretty bad at their place," he said. "I don't think we will need to worry about the motivation factor. With two losses in a row, our guys will be ready to play."

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