Inspired play carries TCU to 77-65 victory over Boise State in Maggie Dixon Classic
A trip to West Point last week resonated with the TCU women’s basketball team. It provided a first-hand look at what the Maggie Dixon Classic is all about, honoring the late Army coach and sister of TCU men’s coach Jamie Dixon.
“It was really inspiring,” TCU junior guard Lauren Heard said. “We’re just wanting to continue to fight and honor her legacy, honor her. She’s an amazing person.”
TCU played inspired basketball Sunday, rolling to a 77-65 victory over Boise State to kick off the Maggie Dixon Classic at Schollmaier Arena. No. 12 Florida State knocked off No. 6 Texas A&M 80-58 in the nightcap.
It marked the second consecutive season TCU hosted the event and the second consecutive season it came away with a victory.
The Horned Frogs are off to a 6-0 start for the first time since the 2003-04 season. Heard is a significant reason why, as she had her best game of the season.
Heard scored a game-high 25 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Frogs senior guard Kianna Ray added 14 points, and senior guard Jayde Woods had 10.
Asked about TCU’s hot start to the season, Heard smiled and said: “I wouldn’t want to start the run any other way. Six-and-oh is just really fun to do with all of our seniors. We know how important this season is for them. We want it to be really fun as they exit, so we want to keep this momentum going for them and just see where it takes us.”
TCU never trailed as Ray drained a 3-pointer 34 seconds into the game. The Horned Frogs went on a 10-0 run shortly after to take a 16-5 lead with 3:11 left in the first quarter.
Boise State never truly threatened after that.
TCU had extended its lead to 37-23 by halftime and kept the pressure on throughout the second half.
“We talk a lot about staying focused and not worrying about the scoreboard,” Ray said. “Don’t play to the scoreboard, continue to play to our identity. Just keeping it on, keeping the pressure on them and not letting up.
“We also talk about no lead is safe, especially with shooters on the floor. They had some really good shooters on the other side, so we knew that we needed to keep contesting them and keep doing what was working to get us that lead.”
The Frogs finished 10 of 21 from 3-point range and also dominated on the boards with a 43-27 advantage.
But make no mistake, Boise State (4-4) is a quality win. The Broncos have reached the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons and four of the past five under Gordy Presnell.
“I loved that we could open the Maggie Dixon Classic with a win against a quality opponent,” TCU coach Raegan Pebley said. “That was a team, full of seniors, that has won a lot of basketball games. They have had a lot of success, being in the NCAA Tournament four of the past five years. This is a team that played Louisville, and played them really well, and Louisville just upset the No. 1 team in the country.”
Outside of the games, the event also promoted awareness for heart health. Maggie Dixon died suddenly of a heart arrhythmia at 28 in April 2006, weeks after leading Army’s women’s team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
TCU and UNT Health Science Center School of Medicine partnered with the Maggie Dixon Foundation to host a Heart Health Fair during the games. Activities included a “Kids Heart Challenge” jump-rope booth, blood pressure checks, automated external defibrillator training and other heart-healthy stations.
The TCU women’s team returns to action against Auburn on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at Schollmaier Arena.
This story was originally published December 1, 2019 at 9:13 PM.
