TCU Women’s basketball is heading to their first WNIT semifinal after defeating South Dakota in Vermillion Sunday night, 79-71 .
The team faced a three-point halftime deficit after committing 10 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. South Dakota had 12 points off of turnovers in the first half.
The Horned Frogs would cut into this mark by more than half in the second half, committing just four turnovers in a half in which they outscored the Coyotes by 11, 40-29.
They would take a four-point lead into the fourth quarter and extend it to eight with a little over seven minutes remaining before a 13-7 South Dakota run would cut the lead to two with 1:42 remaining.
A Jayde Woods layup followed by a Jordan Moore layup gave the Horned Frogs four pivotal points in the final minutes and allowed them to pull ahead 75-71, a lead the team wouldn’t relinquish.
“This was one of the toughest games that we’ve had to play all season,” TCU head coach Raegan Pebley said. “This environment, the physicality of the game, the challenge to our defense and the toughness that South Dakota played all rival any other game we’ve played.”
The Coyotes were 17-1 at home this season prior to Sunday’s loss.
Junior Jordan Moore led the Horned Frogs on offense, scoring 26 points on an efficient 11-13 shooting. She had 10 of her 26 in the final quarter, including a late jump shot that all but sealed the victory for TCU.
Moore has missed just five shots in the WNIT, shooting at an 86 percent mark (30-35) that has been key in the team’s run of victories.
Sophomore Kianna Ray added 10 points, four rebounds and four assists as the Horned Frogs won their fourth postseason game in a row for the first time in school history.
The team will travel to Indiana Wednesday to take on the Hoosiers at 6:00 p.m in Bloomington. The Hoosiers have won all four of their WNIT matchups by at least 15 points.