The Mountaineers haven’t lost consecutive games since they fell to Clemson and Xavier in the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic at the beginning of the season. Can West Virginia avoid its second losing streak of the season? Here are our picks.

Schuyler Callihan: TCU 61, West Virginia 54

The level of intensity and urgency in the game against Utah was extremely concerning to me. It’s a game they knew they could not afford to drop, and yet they played as if they still had 20 games to prove themselves. I also wasn’t a big fan of some of the things being said by the players postgame. Not that they said anything wrong, they just looked and sounded defeated. Are they going to be able to find some answers offensively in a matter of a couple of days? I don’t think so.

I’ve got this one as another defensive slugfest that pretty much puts an end to whatever is left of WVU’s tournament hopes.

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 67, TCU 66

West Virginia has lost seven of the last eight games in Fort Worth, and after the abysmal performance Wednesday night in the home loss to Utah, there’s not much confidence the Mountaineers can steal another road win.

TCU has won the last three of four at home, including a win over Iowa State, and held the Cyclones to a mere 55 points. The Horned Frogs started the Big 12 slate 1-4, but the group has turned their season around and sits one game below .500 at 6-7 in league play.

The Mountaineers have lacked consistency on offense and would do themselves favors to hit the good looks they get, especially in the opening minutes. And there are times they’re two steps behind their opponents and look nothing like the team that knocked off Kansas or the group that has won three of their last four games.

Jamie Dixon’s teams will always be tough defensively, even though during Big 12 play this season, they are in the bottom half of the league. Again, they have improved and have two forwards, David Punch and Xavier Edmonds, who will attack the rim.

West Virginia is in danger of missing the NCAA tournament, and with five games remaining, there’s little room for error. Maybe they come out with a sense of urgency and execute at a high level, and maybe they will be the aggressors from the outset. This group has played freely on the road, and I believe they hit some big shots to pull off the win, 67-66.