TCU’s Elite Eight run ended against South Carolina after losing the rebound battle badly, going cold late, and getting too little help for Olivia Miles.
TCU women’s basketball saw its dream season come to a halt against South Carolina, and the final score didn’t fully capture how competitive the game felt for long stretches.
Still, the Horned Frogs’ 78-52 loss in the Elite Eight revealed exactly where the matchup slipped away.
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For much of the first half, TCU showed it belonged on that stage. The Horned Frogs slowed South Carolina early, defended with energy, and kept the game within reach.
But against an opponent like South Carolina, hanging around isn’t enough. Eventually, the pressure cracks you.
The biggest issue was on the glass. South Carolina grabbed 22 offensive rebounds, nearly matching TCU’s 24 total rebounds.
That’s almost impossible to survive in a regional final. TCU defended well enough on plenty of possessions, but it couldn’t finish those stops. Second-chance points kept the Gamecocks in rhythm and wore the Horned Frogs down as the night went on.
Olivia Miles did what she could, finishing with 18 points, but TCU never found the balanced scoring it needed.
Bigby added 10, yet too much of the offense still rested on Miles’ shoulders. Marta Suarez, one of TCU’s key weapons all season, struggled through a rough shooting night. She went 4-for-17 from the field and 1-for-8 from deep, ending with nine points.
When that secondary production disappears against a team like South Carolina, the margin for error vanishes fast.
To TCU’s credit, turnovers weren’t the deciding factor. The Horned Frogs committed only 10, compared to 14 for South Carolina.
But the fourth quarter was the breaking point. TCU opened the final period in a deep offensive freeze, allowing the Gamecocks to turn a tense game into a runaway.
The loss hurts, but it doesn’t erase what this group accomplished. TCU proved it can reach the Elite Eight. Now the next step is building a roster that can finish the job.
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