Number 12 ranked TCU Women’s Basketball moved into a tie for first place in the Big 12 with a win at home on Sunday over number 19 ranked West Virginia by a score of 59-50. The victory over the Mountaineers extended TCU’s home winning streak to an NCAA best 40 straight games. TCU has not lost a home game in over two years as Mark Campbell’s squad has done a great job defending home court and TCU fans have done a great job creating a true home court advantage. The Horned Frogs moved to 23-4 on the year and 11-3
in the Big 12 with the win are now tied with Baylor atop the Big 12 with four conference games left on the schedule, including a head to head matchup with the Bears to close out the regular season.
Clara Silva had one of the best games of her career with 14 points, eight rebounds, one assist and two blocks. TCU won the points in the paint battle by a margin of 32-22 and Silva was a big reason why on both ends of the floor. Silva knocked down 7 of 12 attempts from the field and provided excellent rim protection to anchor the TCU defense. Marta Suarez had fourteen points of her own along with five rebounds and two assists. Suarez shot 60% from the field and 40% from three in a very efficient offensive outing. Suarez continues to shoot well from beyond the arc and provide valuable spacing to the TCU offense. Olivia Miles was the third Frog in double figures with 12 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Miles did not have her biggest scoring output but she did a great job controlling the game with over a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio. Taylor Bigby had a solid game on both ends of the floor, scoring 10 points and collecting two rebounds and four assists. Bigby has provided size and physicality to the starting lineup along with being a dangerous threat from three point range. Donovyn Hunter knocked down two of four attempts from beyond the arc on her way to nine points, four rebounds and one steal. Hunter played all 40 minutes and her excellent perimeter defense was a big part of the TCU defensive effort.
Despite scoring just 59 points, the Frogs shot well from the field, making 50% of their field goal attempts and 35% of their three point attempts. TCU did a great job limiting turnovers as well with just 10 as a team compared to 15 assists. The TCU defense was the story of the game, however, as the Horned Frogs held West Virginia to 34% shooting from the field and 25% shooting from three. The 50 points scored by West Virginia tied their lowest total of the season, matching the Frogs’ previous meeting with the Mountaineers on January 17 in Morgantown. The West Virginia offense averages 76.9 points per game and in both meetings, the TCU defense has held the Mountaineers to 50 points. West Virginia had just two players score in double figures as TCU shut down the Mountaineer attack.
The Horned Frogs are next set to take on Houston on Wednesday at 6:30 pm on the road. The Cougars have struggled this season with a record of 7-18 on the year and 1-13 in the Big 12 and have lost four straight games by double digit points. The Frogs beat the Cougars 90-45 in their last matchup, but the Frogs cannot afford a misstep with the race for the Big 12 title including four teams within one game of each other.
