TCU finishes with season low in points, but it’s plenty to take care of Oklahoma State

The TCU women’s basketball team turned in one of its worst offensive games of the season Sunday and still won by double digits.

Yes, it’s been that kind of year for the Horned Frogs.

TCU finished with a season low in points but never trailed in a 49-37 victory over a cold-shooting Oklahoma State team.

The Horned Frogs’ 49 points were the fewest they’ve scored in a victory since defeating Fordham, 48-47, on Nov. 26, 2011.

“Obviously, it wasn’t an excellent offensive night for either team,” TCU coach Raegan Pebley said, “but I think it’s because both teams are really good defensively. We both made it real hard on each other to score.”

TCU (20-5, 11-3 Big 12) reached a pair of milestones as the Horned Frogs inch closer to their first NCAA tournament berth in 10 years. This is TCU’s third consecutive 20-win season and the 11 Big 12 victories are the most for the Horned Frogs since joining the league in 2012.

The second-place Horned Frogs also now enjoy a three-game lead over third-place Texas with four to play. And, TCU could be on the verge of breaking into the AP Top 25 for the first time all season after eight ranked teams lost Sunday.

“We’re in that position because we’ve been so locked in on what’s the new challenge, what does today bring,” Pebley said. “Today doesn’t feel like 20 [wins]. We’re going to love on every single of them. We don’t really talk about our record. We talk about our next challenge and opportunity.”

Both teams suffered through some long dry spells despite three of the top five scorers in the Big 12 on the floor. But Oklahoma State (14-12, 5-9) was particularly miserable.

The Cowgirls shot 25 percent from the field, including a woeful 1-for-23 from 3-point range. Oklahoma State’s starters were 0-for-17 on 3-point attempts.

Oklahoma State cut TCU’s lead to 35-31 late in the third quarter, but the Cowgirls couldn’t make a shot in the final quarter. Oklahoma State was 1-for-13 shooting in the fourth quarter as TCU put the game away, thanks in large part to six consecutive points from guard Jaycee Bradley to start the fourth quarter.

“Our chemistry just continues to grow every game,” Bradley said. “We just continue to get better every day. We just feel like we always have more to give.”

The 37 points were the fewest Oklahoma State has scored since a 66-35 loss at Texas on Jan. 10, 2017. But if not for three free throws in the final 17 seconds, the Cowgirls would have finished with their lowest offensive output since a 48-35 loss at Texas Tech on Feb. 8, 2006.

“Our shot selection wasn’t good,” Oklahoma State coach Jim Littell said. “You’re not going to beat anybody in this league when you have two single-digit offensive quarters.”

TCU held Oklahoma State junior forward Vivian Gray, the Big 12’s third-leading scorer (19.8 ppg), to 13 points on 4-for-16 shooting. Cowgirls junior forward Natasha Mack, the Big 12’s fifth-leading scorer (17.5 ppg) and top rebounder (12.5 rpg), finished with 14 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks.

But TCU senior Adeola Akomolafe made it difficult for Mack shooting the ball most of the afternoon. Akomolafe kept an elbow in Mack’s back most of the day, keeping her from establishing position on the low block.

On the opposite end, TCU leading scorer Lauren Heard struggled. Heard, the Big 12’s fourth-leading scorer (17.9 ppg), finished with only eight points on 3-for-17 shooting but had a team-high 15 rebounds. TCU outrebounded Oklahoma State 51-37 to help mask its 28.8 percent shooting woes.

“In the end, rebounding was huge,” Pebley said. “We didn’t give them a lot of second-chance opportunities. We didn’t let other players have career nights, which — when you have to key in on two players — sometimes can happen. We did a solid job.”