Three takeaways as TCU women’s basketball denied repeat Big 12 Tournament title
No. 10-ranked TCU women’s basketball’s quest for a repeat Big 12 Tournament title came up short, as the Horned Frogs fell 62-53 to No. 15 West Virginia on Sunday in the championship game at T-Mobile Center.
It was the third matchup this season between the top two teams in the Big 12. TCU swept the regular-season matchups with a buzzer-beater Jan. 14 in Morgantown for a 51-50 win and a come-from-behind 59-50 victory Feb. 15 in Fort Worth.
“They played an awesome game today. They did a heck of a job defensively,” TCU coach Mark Campbell said. “They just outplayed us today. Credit to them, we’ve had great battles with them over the last couple of the years, and today they were the better team.”
After trailing by as many as 14, the top-seeded Horned Frogs (29-5) cut No. 2 West Virginia’s lead to 52-43 with 3:02 remaining. Desperate to make a comeback, TCU went to a rare full-court press to try and steal some extra possessions.
The Horned Frogs were able to cut the deficit to 56-50 with 38.1 seconds remaining, but senior guard Jordan Harrison knocked down two clutch free throws with 33.4 seconds remaining to put the game away for West Virginia (27-6).
It was an uncharacteristic performance offensively by TCU, as West Virginia controlled the game with its defensive pressure. It also didn’t help that Big 12 Player of the Year Olivia Miles dealt with foul trouble.
The graduate guard picked up her fourth foul in the first minute of the third quarter, and while she only sat roughly two minutes, the All-American was never able to get into the rhythm she had in the first half when she scored 11 points. Miles finished with 17 points, but shot just 2-of-7 in the second half.
“I’m not trying to foul, but sometimes dumb stuff happens,” Miles said. “I’m upset at myself that I put myself in that position. I kind of shot myself in the foot because it ruined my flow a little bit. I don’t foul a lot. I don’t know what’s been going on these last two games.”
The Horned Frogs’ usually potent 3-point shooting also fell well short of its season average. TCU only hit eight of its 31 3-point attempts (25.8%).
Now TCU will await to see which regional it lands in for the NCAA Tournament. The Horned Frogs are hopeful to land in one of the two Fort Worth regionals to have the chance to play the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight at Dickies Arena. They will host the first two rounds at Schollmaier Arena.
“As painful as this is, and it sucks, the body of work that this group has accomplished is incredible,” Campbell said. “I believe we’re right there between a two and three seed. We’ll learn next [Sunday], but what they’ve accomplished with 10 new players is one of the best resumes in college basketball. We’re going to get to host. The question is are we going to get the opportunity to play at Dickies Arena in a regional?
“We’ve been chasing that; this group has been chasing that. We’ve been darn near flawless. It’s hard to put together a resume that’s 29-5.”
Here are three more takeaways from the Big 12 Tournament final:
West Virginia’s dynamic duo the difference
It’s not often that TCU’s duo of Miles and graduate forward Marta Suarez is outperformed, but that rare instance happened Sunday, as Harrison and senior guard Sydney Shaw made enough shots down the stretch to hold off a TCU rally.
Harrison was the smallest player on the court, listed at 5-foot-6, but she played much bigger than her size, setting the tone defensively and making numerous tough shots in the lane.
While Harrison was creating plays inside the arc, Shaw was dealing damage as a jump shooter. Shaw knocked down three 3-pointers and also hit multiple midrange jumpers off of screens. In a game where both teams shot 40% or less, Harrison and Shaw were able to find efficiency, both shooting above 45%. Harrison finished with 21 points, while Shaw added 17.
Harrison was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, and Shaw also made the all-tournament team with Suarez, Miles and Kansas State guard Jordan Speiser.
Suarez fouled out with 16 points and eight rebounds, but she shot only 6-of-19 from the field.
“I’m a little disappointed in myself. I showed up in my role a little too late today,” Suarez said. “They’re a phenomenal team. We didn’t come in today humble enough or hungry enough.”
Defensive disruption
West Virginia reached the tournament final on the back of its defense, and the Mountaineers had TCU flustered for most of the game. Led by Harrison, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, West Virginia used a well-executed hybrid defense to limit TCU’s usually explosive offense.
The Mountaineers used a 2-2-1 full-court press after every score or dead ball that usually forced TCU to take nearly 10 seconds to break if the Horned Frog were able to avoid a turnover.
When TCU got into the half-court, West Virginia would sit back into a matchup zone that allowed the Mountaineers to cut off drivers and would also double-team post touches to Suarez and sophomore center Clara Silva. Silva didn’t attempt a field goal in the first three quarters due to West Virginia’s swarming defense.
TCU shot just 33.3% from the field, and the 53 points are the second-fewest the Horned Frogs have scored this season after the 51 they scored in the victory at West Virginia on Jan. 14.
More foul trouble for Olivia Miles
For the second straight game, Miles was forced to miss a significant portion of the first half with foul trouble. She picked up her third foul with 2:54 remaining while the Horned Frogs held a 20-19 lead. Miles was the primary reason TCU was ahead at that point, as the rest of the lineup struggled against West Virginia’s matchup zone.
Miles had 11 points to keep TCU in the game, but the Mountaineers quickly took advantage of her absence. After Suarez knocked down a 3 to extend the lead to 23-19, West Virginia ripped off a 7-0 run to take a 26-23 lead into halftime.
The Horned Frogs were lucky to only be down one possession at the half. Along with Miles’ foul trouble, TCU’s other primary scorers, Suarez and Donovyn Hunter, were just 2-of-12 in the first half, with Hunter going scoreless. The Horned Frogs shot just 29% in the first and turned it over six times.
This story was originally published March 8, 2026 at 6:15 PM.
