No. 17 TCU women win by record 83, setting up showdown with No. 10 N.C. State
Led by Maddie Scherr, the No. 17-ranked TCU women’s basketball team rolled to a third straight blowout win to open the season, 122-39 over Tennessee State on Wednesday at Schollmaier Arena.
It was the biggest margin of victory in program history.
“That was an incredible performance offensively,” coach Mark Campbell said. “The way this group shares the ball, we’ve seen it the first two games, but tonight the way we shot the ball was incredible. Seventeen 3s, this team is capable of that.”
Scherr scored 22 points and knocked down all six of her 3-point attempts in the best game of her TCU career. It was a special moment for the senior guard after she missed all of last season with a back injury.
Scherr scored 16 first-half points and knocked down four straight 3s in the first half. Her personal 5-0 run to start the second quarter helped extend TCU’s lead to 36-18 with 8:45 remaining in the half.
It’s been a long road back for Scherr, who was supposed to be a vital member of last year’s Elite Eight team alongside Hailey Van Lith, Madison Conner and Donovyn Hunter in the backcourt.
Scherr got off to a bit of a slow start with a scoreless debut in the season opener against North Carolina A&T and eight points against Sam Houston State. But against the Lady Tigers, Scherr reminded everyone why the Horned Frogs were so excited to land the veteran guard from Kentucky.
Not only did Scherr knock down all her 3-pointers, she also played stellar defense and helped the Horned Frogs (3-0) force 19 turnovers in the first half against the Lady Tigers (0-3).
There was one sequence in the second half when Scherr had a large grin on her face while leading a fast break that resulted in a layup for Hunter.
“You’re just starting to see what Maddie is able to do,” Campbell said. “She’s always been one of the best guards in college basketball. She was a McDonald’s All-American out of high school and has produced at Oregon and Kentucky. That injury, she had a setback for a year, and she’s just now getting comfortable. ... All our data says she’s an elite sniper from 3.”
Her performance couldn’t have come at a better time, as it’s the type of outing that can build confidence before the Horned Frogs head into a hostile environment at No. 10 N.C. State at noon Sunday in a rematch of last year’s 76-73 TCU win in Fort Worth.
Scherr wasn’t the only standout, as the Horned Frogs showed no signs of looking ahead to the top-20 showdown, jumping out to a 17-0 lead sparked by Marta Suarez.
The Cal transfer is continuing to prove she was one of the most underrated transfer signings in the country as she showcased her versatile offensive skill set in the first quarter.
She knocked down the first basket of the game in the paint, added a jumper from the post and then knocked down a 3 as TCU already had a commanding lead less than five minutes into the game.
Notre Dame transfer guard Olivia Miles was also excellent, as she nearly recorded a double-double in the first half with 11 points and six assists. More importantly, the Horned Frogs were also able to keep her minutes down ahead of the showdown with the Wolfpack. Miles finished with 17 points, 11 assists and five steals.
The Horned Frogs led 59-24 at halftime and were never challenged in the second half.
Here are more takeaways from the blowout win and an early look at N.C. State:
Frontcourt test looms
The Horned Frogs’ bigs weren’t asked to do much with the guards playing so well, but Suarez, Clara Silva and reserve center Kennedy Basham will face a much tougher test against the Wolfpack. The 6-foot-2 Khamil Pierre is averaging 16.3 points per game and 14.0 rebounds for N.C. State, including 21 points and 14 rebounds against No. 8 Tennessee.
The matchup between Pierre and Suarez should be intense. Elsewhere, the Wolfpack also have good size with the 6-6 Tilda Trygger, who is averaging 11.0 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 43% from 3. Who controls the paint will likely control the outcome of the game.
The Horned Frogs entered Wednesday second in the country in blocks per game, and TCU added eight more against the Lady Tigers. It’ll be much tougher to keep N.C. State out of the lane.
Strength on strength
The Horned Frogs have picked up right where they left off last year when it comes to their 3-point shooting. TCU entered Wednesday making 37% of its 3-pointers, good for 62nd in the country, and should improve its average with the shooting display it put on against Tennessee State.
Six Horned Frogs knocked 3-pointers including four from Hunter, who also knocked down five against Sam Houston State. The Horned Frogs shot 63% on 3s (17-for-27) against the Lady Tigers and had 25 assists on 40 field goals. The playmaking ability of Miles, Hunter, Scherr and even Suarez has given the Horned Frogs multiple distributors who can create for others.
“It’s a passer’s dream just to be able to feed great shooters like Maddie and Dono,” Miles said. “Seeing them confidently hit shots gives me all the more confidence to give them the ball and trusting them to knock it down. It’s just fun and a testament to the work we’ve put in.”
That’ll be essential against the Wolfpack, who have one of the country’s best 3-point defenses, with opponents only shooting 24% from 3. N.C. State hasn’t allowed a team to shoot over 30% from 3 this season, but the Horned Frogs will be determined to become the first.
Familiar opponent
No player on TCU’s roster has more experience against N.C. State than Miles, who had countless battles against the Wolfpack during her stint at Notre Dame. Miles is just 1-3 against N.C. State in her career, but things could be different with this supporting case she has in Fort Worth.
Miles has already formed a strong chemistry with Suarez and Hunter while also living up to all of the preseason hype that followed her transfer to TCU. After scoring 17 more points against the Lady Tigers, she’s averaging a career high in points (18.3) and assists (8.7).
Miles will need to outproduce N.C. State’s leading scorer Zoe Brooks, a junior guard averaging 17.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Miles will have some help from Hunter, who is continuing to emerge as one of the best defensive stoppers in the Big 12.
So far Miles and the Horned Frogs have looked the part of the contender, but we’re about to find out a lot more TCU.
“I’ve never won there. It’s a tough place to play,” Miles said. “They have a great crowd. It’s an intimate environment. It’s very loud in there, but it’s just like any other game. When you put too much expectation on any game, you start to overthink and make bad plays. We’re going to stay level-headed and rely on our preparation.”
This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 8:40 PM.
