Three takeaways from No. 10 TCU women’s Big 12 Tournament semifinal vs. Kansas State
No. 10 TCU women’s basketball is headed back to the Big 12 Tournament championship game after defeating Kansas State 74-62 in the semifinals on Saturday.
It was a physical battle as the upset-minded Wildcats (18-17) aimed to pick up their fourth straight win in Kansas City to make a last minute push to the NCAA Tournament. The heavy contingent of K-State fans only added to the challenge as the semifinal felt more like a road game than a neutral-site one.
“This felt like a game in Manhattan,” TCU coach Mark Campbell said. “That was really fun, but that’s what Big 12 conference is. The fanbases we have here are elite. What an awesome semifinal game. It took us a half to get our legs under us and get into a good rhythm.
“They made us a little uncomfortable, forced us into some turnovers. But this group at halftime got in there, took a deep breath and came out in the second half and really played well on both sides of the basketball.”
The Horned Frogs trailed at halftime, but with less than five minutes remaining TCU (29-4) clung to a 62-57 lead. After a slow start, Big 12 Player of the Year Olivia Miles helped TCU deliver the dagger.
The first haymaker came when Miles drew the attention of multiple K-State defenders on a drive to the lane and Miles showcased her vision by finding an open Donovyn Hunter in the corner for a 3-pointer. Then Miles knocked down a dagger 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired as TCU took a 68-57 lead with 2 minutes, 47 seconds remaining.
The Horned Frogs led by double digits the rest of the way. Miles finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists despite foul trouble.
“I had to be way less aggressive, they were attacking me because they knew it,” Miles said. “There wasn’t really much I could do, I’m never really in that position because I don’t foul much. But it was an adjustment, but I’m most proud of is I found a way to help us win regardless, and I wasn’t timid. I was still attacking, still being physical.”
TCU will face the winner of Colorado-West Virginia in the title game at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Here are three more takeaways from the semifinal win:
Suarez leads the way
With Miles dealing with foul trouble and the physicality of the K-State defense, the Horned Frogs needed someone else to be the engine of the offense, and first team All-Big 12 forward Marta Suarez stepped up to the challenge.
After leading TCU with eight points in the first half, Suarez was even more aggressive in the second. She drilled a 3-pointer on the Horned Frogs’ first possessions of the third quarter, and then a few possessions later she showed off her handle as she used a behind-the-back dribble to set up a layup.
Suarez added another 3-pointer later and then began to play bully ball against the smaller Kansas State frontline. Suarez finished with 14 points in the quarter to help give TCU a 56-49 lead entering the fourth. Suarez led TCU with 22 points, 11 rebounds and she knocked down three 3s in the game.
Other Frogs step up
As brilliant as Miles and Suarez were in the second half, TCU also needed their depth to step up to avoid the upset.. Taylor Bigby and Veronica Sheffey each had significant moments in the win. Bigby, who went scoreless in last year’s Big 12 Tournament, continued her strong play in Kansas City with 10 more points.
She knocked down two 3-pointers and also created plays for her teammates off the dribble. Sheffey played more than usual with Miles’ foul trouble, and the veteran guard Sheffey made an impact with 10 points as well. She knocked multiple mid-range jumpers and helped TCU overcome K-State’s full-court press in the second half.
Without their contributions, TCU likely would’ve been upset.
Surviving without Miles
One of the most pivotal stretches of the semifinal came in the second quarter when Miles picked up her third foul and was forced to sit the final seven minutes of the quarter with TCU leading 21-20. Outside of blowouts, it was the longest Miles has had to sit in a game this season. Initially the Wildcats were able to take advantage. K-State took its biggest lead of the half, 33-27, with 1:14 remaining.
But that’s when the experience of TCU’s veteran roster began to make a difference. Suarez converted a crucial three-point play, and then Sheffey drove deep into the lane and hit one of her signature pull-up jumpers and cut the Wildcats’ lead to 33-32.
Sheffey also came up with an important stop on the Wildcats’ final possession of the half. Kansas State failed to get a shot off before the buzzer. Despite Miles’ absence TCU was only outscored 13-11 in her absence.
“There wasn’t any stress,” Campbell said. “If you come and watch the second unit at practice go against the first unit, it’s freaking battles. What (Sheffey) did today is what she does every day in practice against the first group. One of the problems we have is we’re talented. Not everybody gets the role or minutes they want.
“To put Roni in there for 20 minutes in the semifinals in this environment and know she’s going to hoop and do what she does, her teammates believe in her. The staff believes in her.”
This story was originally published March 7, 2026 at 5:05 PM.
