TCU women’s basketball faces South Carolina in the Elite Eight as Olivia Miles and Marta Suarez try to push the Horned Frogs into the Final Four.
TCU women’s basketball is one win from the Final Four, but the challenge couldn’t be much bigger.
The Horned Frogs will face South Carolina Monday night at 8 p.m. CT in the Elite Eight in Sacramento, California, setting up a high-stakes NCAA Tournament matchup between one of the nation’s toughest defenses and one of its most explosive offenses.
That contrast is what makes this game so compelling.
TCU enters the regional final at 32-5 after carving through the Big 12 and continuing its strong March run. South Carolina, meanwhile, arrives at 34-3 and has looked every bit like a national championship favorite, overwhelming opponents with scoring depth, physicality and relentless pace.
For TCU, the formula starts with stars Marta Suarez and Olivia Miles.
Suarez has been one of the Horned Frogs’ most versatile weapons all season, averaging 17.3 points and 7.4 rebounds while stretching defenses with her 3-point shooting.
Miles has controlled games in every possible way, especially lately, averaging 18.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.8 assists over the last 10 contests. If TCU is going to pull the upset, those two will have to be at their absolute best.
South Carolina comes in with elite numbers on both ends, but its offense grabs attention first.
The Gamecocks average 87.4 points per game and have routinely buried teams under scoring runs. Joyce Edwards leads that attack with 19.6 points per game, while Madina Okot has been a force inside, averaging 14.1 points and 12.2 rebounds over her last 10 games while shooting 56.4 percent from the floor.
The biggest question may be whether TCU can turn this into the kind of game it wants. The Horned Frogs have allowed just 56.3 points per game this season and have consistently made opponents uncomfortable.
But South Carolina’s size, pace and shot-making present a very different test.
Still, TCU has earned its place here. The Horned Frogs have the talent, the confidence and the veteran playmakers to make this interesting.
To reach the Final Four, though, they’ll need their sharpest performance of the season against one of college basketball’s biggest powers.
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