Olivia Miles, Marta Suarez and Veronica Sheffey power TCU past Houston as the Horned Frogs move into sole possession of first place in the Big 12.
TCU women’s basketball left no doubt Wednesday night.
Behind a dominant defensive effort and a balanced scoring attack, the Horned Frogs rolled past Houston, 72-50, at the Fertitta Center to move back into sole possession of first place in the Big 12 standings.
With three regular-season games remaining, TCU (24-4, 12-3 Big 12) controls its own destiny in the conference title race.
Marta Suarez set the tone offensively, pouring in 21 points while grabbing nine rebounds. The senior forward was lethal from deep, knocking down five 3-pointers and stretching Houston’s defense throughout the night.
Olivia Miles once again stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
She is now just seven points shy of 2,000 for her career, a milestone that would place her among the most versatile players in NCAA history with 2,000 points, 800 assists and 700 rebounds.
Veronica Sheffey provided a spark after halftime, scoring all 11 of her points in the final two quarters, including nine in the third period as TCU pushed the game out of reach.
The Horned Frogs were blistering from beyond the arc, draining 11 3-pointers.
Suarez and Miles combined for eight of them, helping TCU build a commanding first-half lead. By the break, TCU had held Houston to just 15 percent shooting and carried a 22-point advantage into the locker room.
Defense has been the backbone of Mark Campbell’s squad all season, and Wednesday was no exception.
Houston shot just 23 percent from the field, marking the 11th time this year TCU has limited an opponent below 30 percent. The Frogs also dominated the glass with 49 rebounds and recorded seven blocks, including four from Kennedy Basham.
With the win, TCU secured its 12th Big 12 victory ... only the third time the program has reached that mark in conference play. The Horned Frogs will now host Iowa State on Sunday in a high-profile showdown featuring Miles and Cyclones star Audi Crooks, two frontrunners for Big 12 Player of the Year honors.
A conference championship is within reach, and TCU looks every bit the contender.