Big 12 Women’s Champions: Horned Frogs Historic Victory
It’s that time again! 16 teams entered the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship Tournament, but only one emerged victorious. In the finals, it was a showdown between the top-seeded TCU Horned Frogs from Fort Worth and the second-seeded Baylor Bears from Waco. With 11 championships under their belt, Baylor presented a real challenge to TCU's quest for their first Big 12 Championship in program history. During the regular season, these two teams clashed twice, with TCU narrowly edging out victories in both encounters. TCU clinched the Big 12 regular season championship with their previous win over Baylor. This year, the Horned Frogs emerged victorious. Defeating one of the nation's top programs was no easy feat, so how did they pull it off? Let's review the decisive factors that influenced this game.
Quarterly Highlights
Donovyn Hunter kicked off the game by knocking down the first points with a three-pointer. Aaronette Vonleh followed up with a quick layup. In a game of tag, Sarah Andrews found herself open and nailed a three. Baylor applied pressure to disrupt TCU’s ball handlers and force turnovers, which helped prevent pick-and-rolls, a key scoring opportunity for Sedona Prince. The physicality early on posed trouble for the Horned Frogs by limiting their shots. Fouls late in the first quarter allowed TCU to take the lead. A steal by Prince led to a jumper from Una Jovanovic, marking her first points off the bench. The first quarter ended with Baylor in foul trouble, tallying five fouls across the board. They led in three-point shooting but fell behind in field goals. Vonleh and Jada Walker were the leaders for Baylor, while Prince and Hailey Van Lith led the charge for TCU.
Madison Conner drained a three from near the top of the arch, getting the ball rolling in the second quarter. The game moved quickly, with miscues from both sides resulting in turnovers. Vonleh picked up her second foul and headed to the bench. As a crucial member of the team, Vonleh was needed on the floor to contest against Prince. Baylor locked down defense on Conner and Prince, but Hunter got TCU a second chance. The Horned Frogs lost control of the ball and turned it over to Baylor. This was their fifth straight turnover, bringing the total to twelve. Taylor Bigby drove to the basket and committed an offensive foul, turning the ball over to Baylor again. Hunter hit a three, firing up the bench and breaking the scoring drought. Kyla Abraham got a rebound and a putback. Hunter made a layup, then Prince found Conner wide open, and she hit a triple, forcing Baylor into a timeout. TCU stayed on top of Baylor, with Prince preventing layup opportunities down low. A miscommunication gave the ball to Baylor, but Prince and Van Lith contested Yaya Felder at the rim. A tie-up put the ball back in TCU’s hands. Hunter passed to Aaliyah Roberson inside, moving TCU’s lead to 13. Andrews sent the ball to Abraham for a layup, which cut TCU’s lead to 11.
TCU struggled to take care of the basketball, especially in the second quarter. This led to 15 turnovers, more than their average, compared to Baylor’s eight. Despite Baylor's failure to capitalize on turnovers, their defense effectively shut down TCU’s offense. Foul trouble forced other Baylor players to step up in the absence of Vonleh. At this point, TCU needed to slow the game down. Baylor’s quick pace led to moments of confusion on their side of the court. Both teams made all their free throws, with TCU hitting six and Baylor four. TCU was four of seven from beyond the arc, while Baylor was one of five. Baylor took 27 field goals but only made seven. TCU took 20 and made half. Baylor had more steals and assists, but TCU excelled in rebounds. They secured 21 compared to Baylor’s nine. Hunter and Conner had 16 points combined. Vonleh, Walker, and Abraham had 12 for Baylor. By halftime, the score was 30-19 in favor of the Horned Frogs.
Vonleh and Van Lith made back-to-back layups at the start of the third quarter. Now back on the floor, Vonleh took a trip to the free throw line. Van Lith and Abraham made both of their free throw attempts. Agnes Emma-Nnopu made a behind-the-back pass to Prince in the paint. Prince drew the foul and went to the line. Vonleh finished on the other end. With her back on the court, Baylor began to catch up. Felder hit a three, cutting TCU’s lead to seven. TCU turned over the ball for the 14th time. Hunter let it fly from three. The ball bounced in off the rim. Walker picked up her fourth personal foul. Baylor remained in foul trouble with two of their starters sitting out. Van Lith and Felder continued to excel from the free throw line, scoring extra points for their respective teams. Van Lith picked up her fourth foul right after but remained on the court. Felder swooped past TCU's defense for a layup and a foul. Van Lith hit a step-back jumper for her 16th point. She finished the third quarter with 12 points and Vonleh with 10. Both started to come alive as the game headed into the final minutes. TCU stayed ahead of Baylor going into the fourth.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Prince got two offensive rebounds and scored off a layup. Bella Fontleroy subbed back in with four fouls. TCU’s 19th turnover allowed Vonleh to score, making it a four-point game with less than five minutes to go. A foul put Baylor back at the line, cutting the deficit to a one-possession game. Prince blocked Baylor from tying the score. Vonleh spun on Prince and laid it in. Van Lith delivered an expert pass to Prince for a layup. Baylor tightened their defense on Van Lith, sending two defenders her way. Emma-Nnopu caught a rebound, giving TCU a second chance. Hunter stole the ball, and Van Lith drove for a layup. Vonleh went against Prince for two, bringing the score to 61-59. Conner missed one of two free throws. Emma-Nnopu got the rebound from a missed Baylor three and made two free throws to end the quarter. The final score was 64-59.
By the Numbers
Hailey Van Lith had an outstanding performance, finishing with 20 points. She was perfect from the free throw line, nailing all 10 of her shots, and shot five out of nine from the field. Her performance throughout the tournament earned her the title of Big 12’s Most Outstanding Player, which she was voted for unanimously. She was also named to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference All-Tournament Team. Sedona Prince achieved a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. She also contributed four steals and a block. She was also named to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference All-Tournament Team. Donovyn Hunter and Madison Conner both scored 11 points. Additionally, Hunter had six rebounds and three steals. Agnes Emma-Nnopu had one of the greatest plays of the night by identifying that Prince was on the weak side and getting the ball to her, leading to points and an assist.
Aaronette Vonleh had 20 points and six rebounds. She was the leading scorer for Baylor. She joined Van Lith and Prince on the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference All-Tournament Team. Sarah Andrews completed the game with 13 points. She also had five rebounds and two steals. She was five of nine from the field. Yaya Felder had 11 points. Kyla Abraham came off the bench for six points. She tied Vonleh in rebounds and made crucial plays, like getting a putback in the second quarter.
Both teams had similar field goal percentages. Baylor took 51 shots and made 21. TCU took 44 and made 19. The Horned Frogs performed 11.1% better in three-point shooting. They took six more threes than the Bears. TCU outplayed Baylor in rebounds and assists. They had 34 rebounds and 12 assists, whereas Baylor had 25 rebounds and seven assists. Baylor had more personal fouls, with 22, six more than TCU. Steals were in Baylor’s favor, but both teams were tied in blocks. The Horned Frogs had 20 turnovers by the end of the game and Baylor had 14.
Reflection
Third time's the charm! The TCU Horned Frogs have made history yet again by winning the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Women’s Championship. This marks Hailey Van Lith’s 32nd game this season with 10+ points. Baylor tried to minimize Prince in the paint, but Vonleh still managed to contribute, while Prince got her share of opportunities. Traps were set to hinder Van Lith, but she found her rhythm after halftime, scoring just four points in the first half and finishing the third quarter with 16. Other team members played significant roles, with four out of five starters scoring in double digits. The bench also made an impact. Turnovers and fouls influenced the game, but TCU’s veterans stayed composed throughout. The NCAA March Madness bracket will be released next Sunday, March 16th, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on ESPN. TCU’s victory today could position them as the number two seed on selection day. Entering the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 15 years, congratulations to the Horned Frogs on their historic championship win!
