Three takeaways from No. 12 TCU women’s basketball game vs. Kansas
No. 12-ranked TCU women’s basketball used clutch shot-making in the fourth quarter to hold off Kansas 79-77 on Thursday at Schollmaier Arena.
“Great battle, fun Big 12 game,” TCU coach Mark Campbell said. “I’m excited we were able to grind it out and win. We didn’t play great. I thought defensively we were not on point. I thought they were more aggressive for a majority of the game and had us on our heels which is why they got to the free-throw line a lot.”
The Horned Frogs led wire to wire, but with 3:06 remaining, TCU’s lead had been cut to 67-65 and the Horned Frogs were without starting forwards Marta Suarez and Clara Silva, who both fouled out.
In need of a bucket, Olivia Miles delivered one of the biggest of the day as she converted a three-point play to put TCU (20-2, 8-1) ahead 70-65 with 2:53 remaining.
After Kansas (13-9, 3-7) responded with a basket, freshman guard Clara Bielefeld hit the biggest shot of her young career as she knocked down a corner 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired to increase the Horned Frogs’ lead to 73-67.
TCU still needed to make one more play to close the game as S’Mya Nichols cut it to 75-72 with Kansas’ first 3 of the game with 43 seconds remaining. Miles stepped up again and delivered the dagger on a pull-up jumper with 18.6 seconds remaining to put the game away.
“I love it, I have confidence in myself and my game,” Miles said of her clutch baskets. “I know that I put the work in to take that shot and my teammates trust me to take that shot. I shoot every shot with confidence.”
Miles led TCU with 20 points, six assists and four rebounds.
The Horned Frogs will travel to face No. 21 Texas Tech (20-3, 7-3) at 1 p.m. Sunday in Lubbock.
Here are more takeaways from the game:
Battle inside
After falling behind by 13 points in the first quarter, Kansas relied on its paint presence to get back into the game. The Jayhawks were relentless in attacking the paint as they struggled to knock down shots from behind the arc. Freshman forward Jaliya Davis did most of the damage for the Jayhawks as she used her craftiness around the basket to overcome the size advantage TCU had with Silva and Kennedy Basham.
Davis had 22 points through three quarters as the Jayhawks crashed the glass in search of second-chance opportunities and to draw fouls on TCU’s frontcourt. Nichols also helped Kansas dominate inside as the junior guard used her strength to get to her spots in the lane.
The pressure by Nichols and Davis led to Suarez and Silva fouling out in the fourth and was a big reason Kansas was able to keep it close. Davis finished with a game-high 29 points while Nichols added 24.
“She keeps you honest on defense,” Miles said of Davis. “You have to play straight up or she’s going to throw her body into you and finish the layup or miss the shot, get the rebound and finish it. She’s very poised for a freshman.”
The Horned Frogs were outrebounded 33-26 and were outscored 46-30 in the paint, but still found a way to close the game out.
Breakout game for Hunter
Since Big 12 play has begun, Donovyn Hunter’s scoring production has taken a slight dip from her non-conference levels. That can be expected with the competition getting tougher, but Hunter understood that TCU would need more from her offensively to achieve its goal of repeating as Big 12 champion.
Facing the upset-minded Jayhawks, Hunter had her best scoring game in a month as she scored 15 points, including 11 in the first half. It was the most points she’s scored since the Horned Frogs’ win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Dec. 16.
Hunter had a key sequence in the third quarter that changed the direction of the game after the Jayhawks had cut it to two, 56-54, late in the third. After knocking down two free throws, Hunter forced a steal and turned the turnover into a layup. Then in the final 60 seconds Hunter drew an offensive foul on Nichols as Nichols grabbed her arm while the two were falling to the ground.
The decision led to Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider receiving a technical foul after he showed his displeasure with the decision. That sequence played a big part in TCU taking a 65-56 lead into the fourth quarter. Hunter’s performance came after a meeting with Campbell where he encouraged Hunter to continue being aggressive despite a slight shooting slump.
“It meant a lot. None of us want to miss our shots,” Hunter said. “It’s reassuring, especially to hear it from coaches, but also my teammates to keep shooting. I couldn’t make a 3 for the life of me for the last, I don’t know how many games, but even [Miles] was like, ‘Keep shooting it, it’ll fall.’ It’s reassuring that they believe in me.”
Sizzling start
Playing in their first home game since Jan. 17, the Horned Frogs came out on fire as they put on a shooting display in the first quarter to take control of the game. The first three baskets of the game were all 3-pointers from different TCU players as the Horned Frogs took an early 9-0 lead.
After a Kansas bucket, the hot shooting continued as Taylor Bigby knocked down another 3 and then Hunter made back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the lead to 20-9 midway through the first. The Horned Frogs made their first six 3-pointers as they led by as many as 13.
While TCU was lighting it up from 3, the Horned Frogs were also locked in on limiting the Jayhawks’ opportunity behind the arc. Kansas didn’t make a 3 in the first half, going 0 for 5, as the Horned Frogs built a 45-37 halftime lead thanks to their eight 3s in the half. TCU shot 62% from 3 and 53% overall in the first half.
This story was originally published January 29, 2026 at 7:29 PM.
