Ray, Moore lead TCU past Prairie View A&M in first round of WNIT

It might not be the NCAA Tournament, but TCU made a statement in its first game this postseason.

Junior guard Kianna Ray had the hot hand in dropping 19 points and four assists as the Horned Frogs ran past Prairie View A&M, 72-41, in the first round of the WNIT at Schollmaier Arena on Thursday.

“It hurt,” TCU head coach Raegan Pebley said about not making the NCAA Tournament. “But whether we were going to the NCAA Tournament or to the WNIT, we had to come in with the mindset to win.”

Ray, who came into the game averaging 10 points per game, was critical for TCU during a 13-0 run to end the first half that gave the Frogs a 34-16 lead at the break. Ray finished 7 of 10 from the floor, including 5 of 8 from beyond the arc.

“We’re playing good basketball right now and we fell a little but short of the NCAA Tournament, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have something really big to play for,” Ray said.

TCU senior center Jordan Moore finished with 14 points and six rebounds on 75 percent shooting.

When asked about how much of an impact her team has on her, Moore responded, “this team means a lot to me…bottom line, these are my sisters.”

Prairie View A&M was led by senior forward Artavia Ford’s 12 points and eight rebounds.

For 40 minutes the Frogs played crisp defense as a unit and held Prairie View to 29 percent shooting as a team and 21 percent from 3-point range.

“Proud of how we worked the ball around and was aggressive on paint scoring,” Pebley said. “But this time of year defensive and rebounding have everything to do with the final result, and I was proud of our defensive effort tonight.”

TCU forced 24 turnovers and had 11 steals on the night. The Frogs outscored Prairie View A&M in the paint 36-18.

The Horned Frogs welcome UT-Arlington for a second round matchup back at Schollmaier on Saturday at 2 p.m.