TCU Defends Home Court in Opener Against HCU
The Texas Christian University Women’s Basketball Team had their home opener of the season last night against Houston Christian University. TCU went into the game looking to extend their 14-game home non-conference winning streak. They also headed onto the court with three players on the roster earning spots on the preseason watch list for the first time in history, being transfer Hailey Van Lith, TCU single-season three-point record holder Madison Conner, and returning center Sedona Prince. Speaking of transfers, Maddie Scherr and Donovyn Hunter, Deasia Merrill, Taylor Bigby, and Natalie Mazurek have joined Van Lith at TCU. The opposing team also had transfers. Kierra Prim, Victoria Dixon, and Tiffany Tullis join the rest of the HCU women’s basketball team, along with senior Amy Cotton, who is returning from injury. After losing two graduating players during the summer, HCU aimed to rebuild and begin the season strong.
Early Game Action
Starting for the HCU Huskies were Jo Oly, Prim, Tullis, Hannah Fields, and Erin Maguire. Starting for the TCU Horned Frogs were Prince, Hunter, Conner, Bigby, and Van Lith. Early turnovers by both teams marked the beginning, but Prince's layup put TCU in the lead within the first minute. As the first quarter advanced, offensive issues became apparent for TCU, while defense issues troubled HCU. Missed layups and missed threes held TCU back from taking a larger lead during the first ten minutes, but their defense still played a key factor in stopping HCU from getting far ahead. Prince finished the first quarter with seven points, with six from layups and one from a free throw.
TCU's defense intensified in the second quarter, leading to more HCU turnovers. Van Lith made significant steals, and Prince continued scoring, sticking to her signature layups. TCU dominated until the last fifty seconds, ending the half with a 17-point lead, capitalizing on HCU's amount of turnovers. HCU managed to climb from 14 to 19 with a made three from Tove Caesar and two points from Dixon, but they continued to struggle with overcoming TCU's strong defense. By halftime, the Huskies desperately needed to figure out a way to work around it, as they had given up 17 turnovers compared to TCU's three.
The Final Push
In the third quarter, Tullis scored first for HCU, but TCU maintained control with Prince and Van Lith's contributions. The Huskies got into foul trouble early in the quarter, which the Horned Frogs began experiencing nearly halfway through. Prince made another layup and two more jumpers, assisted by Aaliyah Roberson and Van Lith. Conner got her first field goal of the season, with Madelyne Davis connecting with a three-pointer to close things out for HCU. Although HCU tried to fight back, TCU's consistent scoring kept them in the lead.
The fourth quarter saw TCU's defense shine once again, with Van Lith and Prince continuing their strong performance. A block and an HCU turnover converted into two points for Van Lith, taking TCU’s lead to 25. Hunter played a vital role in blocking and stealing, contributing significantly to defending the home court. Conner tallied up assists, helping Prince and Hunter put up shots before knocking down the third and final three-pointer for TCU. The fourth quarter ended with a missed three-point jumper from Davis, solidifying a final result of 41-78.
Impact Players
Sedona Prince and Hailey Van Lith combined for 50 points, leading TCU, and were the only two to reach double digits. Prince nearly achieved a double-double, only needing three more rebounds, while Van Lith was close to one as well, needing three more assists. Aaliyah Roberson was the highest scorer off the bench with six points, also managing to accumulate one assist. TCU had only four turnovers compared to HCU’s 34 and 38 points in the paint compared to 16. Erin Maguire was the leading scorer for HCU with eight points. Starter Jo Oly caught ten rebounds, the most out of every other player, and was four points away from taking home a double-double of her own. TCU had a higher field goal percentage, but HCU outperformed them in three-point shooting.
Post-Game Reflections
Houston Christian University will next be in action on Thursday, November 7th, against the Texas Tech Lady Raiders. The Raiders previously played the University of Incarnate Cardinals on Monday and won 78-48. There are several ways I would look to improve play between now and Thursday. Getting better at defense closer to the basket, especially against larger players, would greatly benefit the team. Letting someone like Prince, who positions in front of the basket and drops the ball in regularly, get into their groove is dangerous. Preventing turnovers, whether by passing more, setting screens, or dribbling, is also crucial. When TCU forced a 30th turnover, it resulted in them scoring their 34th point from turnovers alone. If these two issues continue to be a problem, other teams, including the Cardinals, will capitalize.
The Horned Frogs will play again on Sunday, November 10th, when they host the University of New Orleans. There are two significant factors I would work on improving. Firstly, shooting free throws, as several shots were missed during the game. Making free throws could be the difference between TCU winning and losing a game. Secondly, shooting from the three-point range needs improvement. Only three attempts went in last night, two from Van Lith and one from Conner. TCU was fortunate to excel at hitting twos and making layups, but problems may arise when opposing players lock them down in or around the paint. The team was good at sharing the ball and taking care of it, especially after the first ten minutes. The TCU offense proved to be a force to be reckoned with, and upcoming opponents will likely keep an eye on this.
As the first TCU women’s basketball game of the year, I’m more than excited to see how the rest of the season unfolds. The way the team has played so far makes me extremely confident that they will climb higher in the standings and finish the season in a strong position. Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince stood out the most to me. Their connection on the court was evident throughout the game, particularly when Van Lith passed to Prince from the outside. They carried TCU points-wise and understood their roles remarkably well. The New Orleans Privateers will most definitely have their hands full on Sunday, facing possibly the best duo in the Big 12 Conference.
