Women’s Basketball: TCU advances to second straight Sweet 16 with OT win over Washington
Number three seed TCU women’s basketball advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the second straight season with a victory over the number six seed Washington Huskies on Sunday with a final score of 62-59. The hard-fought victory took all four quarters and overtime to decide as the Frogs battled back from an eight-point halftime deficit and overcame a tough shooting night to come out on top and claim the victory. TCU’s home winning streak now stands at 44 games and TCU women’s basketball now has an all-time record above .500 for the first time in program history. When Mark Campbell took over as head coach, TCU was 64 games below .500 all-time. Closing that gap and reaching two Sweet Sixteens in just three seasons is one of the most impressive coaching jobs in NCAA history.
Olivia Miles led the Horned Frogs in scoring with 18 points along with 10 rebounds, eight assists and a steal. Miles didn’t have the most efficient shooting game, but facilitated the offense, found a way to get buckets down the stretch and grabbed plenty of defensive rebounds to limit second chance points for the Huskies. Miles had a chance to win the game in regulation, but missed a step-back three-pointer at the buzzer. While the Frogs would have loved to see that shot fall, Miles’ adjustment to learn from that miss and attack the basket in overtime allowed TCU to win the game. This late-game adjustment showed how Miles and this team can respond and adapt to adversity and bodes well for TCU’s chances of advancing further in March Madness.
Clara Silva played her best game as a Frog with 16 points on six of eight shooting from the field, with eight rebounds, one assist, two steals and two blocks. Washington was put at the service of TCU’s ball handlers throughout the game in the pick-and-roll and Silva did a great job of making himself available on the roll for easy baskets. The sophomore made an impact on both ends of the court, as her excellent defensive timing was a big reason why Washington only scored 18 points in the paint. Taylor Bigby had another great game for the Frogs, scoring 15 points and totaling four rebounds and a block. Bigby has 42 points in two NCAA Tournament games and his hot shooting is a big reason why TCU is still dancing. Marta Suarez played a big role in the victory with nine points, eight rebounds and an assist. Suarez’s impact went beyond the box score as she played excellent defense and fought on the boards while playing with four fouls for most of the second half. Donovyn Hunter played a big role in TCU’s defensive efforts, limiting Washington’s star guard Sayvia Sellers to just 32 percent from the field. Hunter’s ability and effort as a perimeter defender has been vital to TCU’s defense all season.
TCU struggled from beyond the three-point line against Washington, turning down just 21 percent of its attempts as a team. However, the Frogs did well to adapt, scoring 42 points in the paint and ten points in transition, pushing the pace to combat jump shot difficulties. The Horned Frog defense was the reason TCU won the game as Washington shot just 35% from the field and 32% from three.
TCU will then travel to Sacramento for the Sweet Sixteen where they will face No. 10 seed Virginia on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Virginia made history as the first team to advance to the Sweet Sixteen after playing in the First Four of March Madness. The Cavaliers are also no strangers to close games as each of their last two games went to overtime. Kymore Johnson has been on an absolute tear for Virginia, scoring 17 points in the first four against Arizona State, 28 points in the first round against number seven seed Georgia, and 28 points in the second round against number two seed Iowa. Donovyn Hunter will most likely face Johnson and will need to have a strong defensive performance for the Frogs to make their second straight trip to the Elite Eight.
