TCU Horned Frogs Clinch Win Over Arizona Wildcats
Madison Conner, recognized as one of the best three-point shooters in Division I women's basketball, and the TCU Horned Frogs journeyed to Tucson, Arizona. Their mission? To take down the Arizona Wildcats. This Big 12 clash pitted the ninth-ranked Wildcats against the third-ranked Horned Frogs. Heading into the matchup, Jada Williams and Breya Cunningham topped the charts for Arizona. Analysts gave TCU the upper hand, predicting their victory, which set the stage early on. Determined to regain their form, the Wildcats were determined in their pursuit of victory.
The Rundown
Hailey Van Lith, Taylor Bigby, Sedona Prince, Madison Conner, and Agnes Emma-Nnopu started the game for TCU. Breya Cunningham, Isis Beh, Lauryn Swann, Skylar Jones, and Paulina Paris started for Arizona. In an exciting first quarter, TCU won the jump ball and took an early timeout. Van Lith hit a three-pointer, followed by a layup from Paris. Bigby answered with a jumper, but Paris quickly added another layup. Prince scored a layup, and a foul by Jones sent Prince to the line, where she made two free throws. Moments later, Jones made a free throw of her own and a three-pointer, followed up by a triple from Aaliyah Roberson. Paris made another layup, then Jones nailed a three-pointer before Van Lith hit a jumper. Jones and Conner contributed to their respective teams with layups, and Katarina Knezevic scored two. The quarter ended with a layup from Van Lith.
Getting things going in the second quarter, Emma-Nnopu, Knezevic, and Conner knocked down three-pointers. Van Lith blocked a shot from Paris, and Jones made two free throws after being fouled by Conner. Roberson hit a three, and Prince scored downhill. Roberson nailed her third three-pointer, prompting a Wildcats timeout. Post-timeout, Jones scored a layup, a free throw, and then another two points off Beh's steal. Swann made a three, and a foul by Paris gave Van Lith two free throws. Prince scored a layup and shot down two free throws, with Montaya Dew following in her footsteps. Paris made a three, then Conner did the same with less than five seconds to go, silencing the crowd to end the half.
In the third quarter, Cunningham opened with a layup, followed by Prince assisting Emma-Nnopu for another layup. Emma-Nnopu then hit a three-pointer. Jones made a layup and drew a foul, while Beh's three-pointer cut TCU's lead to three. Prince responded with a layup, and Paris energized the home crowd with a three-pointer. Cunningham's layup tied the game, but Deasia Merrill's free throws broke the tie. Paris and Van Lith both made layups, and Conner scored with a floater. Merrill added a wide-open layup before a Wildcats timeout. After the timeout, Swann nailed a three-pointer with help from Knezevic, Conner hit a triple, and Roberson made a layup from the right side of the basket. The quarter ended with missed shots from both teams.
During the final quarter, Arizona took possession with the jump ball. Swann opened with a three-pointer, followed by another from Conner. Jones countered with a three-pointer, then Prince scored a layup for the Horned Frogs. Donovyn Hunter made a steal and converted it into a layup, while Beh's turnover resulted in a layup by Roberson. Roberson then blocks a shot attempt from the Wildcats, leading to a timeout. Late in the quarter, Prince scored her 20th point, securing a double-double. Jones fought for two points and drew a foul before Conner drove into the paint. Jones grabbed a defensive rebound and hit a triple, then Roberson stole the ball and made a three-pointer. After both teams called timeouts, Prince made a layup, and Jones set a career-high, scoring her 30th point at the free throw line. Roberson made a layup, Prince blocked a shot from Paris, and Cunningham made a jumper. In the last few seconds, TCU dribbled out the clock, clinching the victory.
Game Analysis
TCU triumphed over Arizona on the road with an 85-73 victory. Skylar Jones led the Wildcats with 30 points, while Paulina Paris and Lauryn Swann also reached double digits, scoring 14 and 12 points, respectively. Paris led both teams with six assists. For the Horned Frogs, Sedona Prince scored 22 points, supported by Hailey Van Lith with 11. Madison Conner returned to action tonight and finished with 18, along with Aaliyah Roberson, who came off the bench to match her points with 18 of her own. Prince also achieved her 25th double-double, with an additional 12 rebounds. The Wildcats trailed behind in field goal percentage, achieving 48.1% compared to TCU's 55.9%. Although TCU faced challenges with three-point shooting, they performed exceptionally well in free throws, hitting 88.9% and missing only one attempt. TCU also dominated in rebounds and assists, finishing with 30 rebounds and 21 assists, while the Wildcats recorded 23 rebounds and 13 assists. Steals and blocks favored TCU as well, with both teams remaining close in turnovers and fouls.
Future Outlook
The Arizona women’s basketball team will defend their home court against BYU on Wednesday. Afterward, they will travel to Houston before hosting Texas Tech on February 25th. TCU's next three games include an away game and two at home in Fort Worth. They will face Arizona State on Wednesday, followed by West Virginia and Houston in conference play. All these games will be available on ESPN+. Both teams are gearing up for these critical matches, and fans can catch all the action live. Make sure to tune in and support your favorite teams as the NCAA Tournament approaches!
