TCU women’s basketball suffered a loss Monday night at No. 23 Oklahoma State. Despite shooting nearly 50 percent for the entire game, Oklahoma State’s rebounding success was the deciding factor in the contest.
The Cowgirls out-rebounded TCU 48-33 on the night with 18 offensive rebounds while accumulating 18 second-chance points.
TCU tallied only nine offensive rebounds and nine second-chance points.
“I think the difference tonight was rebounding, especially their second-chance opportunities, and the free throw differential and they won both of those,” TCU head coach Raegan Pebley said.
The Horned Frogs shot 69 percent in the first quarter and led 25-24 after the first 10 minutes with TCU center Jordan Moore hitting a layup to beat the buzzer. Pebley’s squad started the second quarter cold, converting on only one of their first eight shots which allowed the Cowgirls to begin to separate themselves from TCU.
The Horned Frogs used a strong performance to end the half and keep the game up for grabs. TCU forced OSU to 2-7 shooting and four turnovers in the final five minutes to cut the deficit to three, 40-37.
For every Oklahoma State run, the Horned Frogs had an answer. The Cowgirls began the second half on fire and used a 12-2 run to extend their lead but the Frogs answered with three three-pointers early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to five, 73-68.
However, TCU would miss its next nine shots and go nearly four minutes without a field goal. The Cowgirls exploited TCU’s offensive woes to extend their lead to 15 points.
The Frogs shot 26 percent in the final quarter.
Senior Torree Thompson led the Horned Frogs in her final regular-season game in purple and white with 18 points on 6-12 shooting, including three three-pointers.
Guard Amber Ramirez and Moore recorded double-digit points with 14 and 13 respectively while TCU’s leading scorer Amy Okonkwo finished with nine points.
The Cowgirls’ ability to get to the free throw line was another defining factor in the game. Oklahoma State shot 23 free throws opposed to TCU’s 11.
With the loss, the Horned Frogs finish the conference season with a 9-9 record, tied for their best as members of the Big 12.
The Horned Frogs will return to the hardwood in the Big 12 Tournament. Pebley’s squad finished the season as the No. 5 seed in the Big 12 and will face the No. 4 seed Saturday at 11:00 a.m. in the first round of the tournament.
The No. 4 seed will be determined Tuesday. If the Oklahoma Sooners fall to Texas, they will face TCU Saturday. If the Sooners defeat the Longhorns, TCU will face the Cowgirls for the third time this season.
