The TCU women’s basketball team won their first matchup of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship against 10th-seeded Texas Tech 75-59 on Friday night in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Sophomore guard Zahna Medley scored nine points in the first half of the contest, which gave her 500 total this season. Only five other Frogs have ever reached the 500-mark in a season before.
Four TCU players scored double digits in the win: Medley, senior center Latricia Lovings, junior guard Natalie Ventress and junior Chelsea Prince. Ventress and Medley tied for a team-high 18 points each.
Lovings’ 14 points was a season-high for her. For the first time in 70 games, she was held without a block, ending her record-breaking streak at 69.
After the Lady Raiders (6-23, 0-18 Big 12) shot 54 percent from the field, TCU trailed 34-33 going into the second half.
“I thought our group was very resilient and hung in there,” TCU head coach Jeff Mittie said.
The Frogs (17-10, 8-10 Big 12) then opened the half with a 7-2 run to take a four-point lead. They wouldn’t trail for the rest of the game.
Texas Tech fought back, pulling the game to within one with about 12 minutes remaining. TCU had a strong response though.
The team proceeded on a 12-0 run, holding the Lady Raiders scoreless for over four minutes of play. With only 7:46 left in the game, the Frogs led 61-48.
By the final media timeout of the match, TCU had pulled their lead out to 67-51 with about four minutes remaining.
“I thought our defense created some open turnovers, some live turnovers,” Mittie said. “Obviously, we got in a pretty good rhythm.”
When the clock ran out in Chesapeake Energy Arena, TCU won 75-59. The win secured a season sweep for the Frogs over Texas Tech by double-digits in each game.
The win was also the first ever win for TCU in the Big 12 Championship.
The Frogs will next face No. 7 West Virginia Saturday night. TCU lost both games to the Mountaineers by four points this season.
“I think West Virginia’s an outstanding team,” Mittie said. “We’re not gonna sneak up on ‘em.”
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
