TCU Women’s basketball defeated Lamar 80-68 in the first round of the Women’s NIT Thursday in Fort Worth. The win was headlined by the Horned Frogs hot shooting, as they made over 60 percent of their shots from the field, setting a final field goal percentage of 60.8- a postseason program record and the fourth best overall in team history. The high field goal percentage would prove pivotal against a Lamar team known for its aggressive style of play. The Cardinals forced the Horned Frogs into 20 turnovers, their third highest total in a game this season. “I was nervous about playing this team because of the style of play that they have,” TCU head coach Raegan Pebley said. “Nobody in our conference has a style of play like that, so I knew it was going to be a challenge.” Lamar had a one-point lead at the halfway mark in the third quarter but would fail to make a field goal for the remainder of the quarter as the Horned Frogs embarked on what would be a game-deciding 13-5 run. The Cardinals then missed their first six shots of the fourth quarter as TCU pushed their lead to a game-high 17 points on a 12-1 stretch.

Junior Jordan Moore led the Horned Frogs on offense, posting 24 points on a stout 10 of 11 shooting from the field. Sophomores Adeola Akomolafe and Kianna Ray also posted double-digit points for TCU, with 12 and 16 respectively. The win was the team’s 20th of the season, the first time they’ve hit that mark since the 2010-2011 season. Pebley attributed some of the team’s success this season to the home crowd improvement at Schollmaier Arena. “Our crowd has been a crowd that has grown all season,” Pebley said. “The WNIT works that you have to win and have good crowds to keep playing at home, and I love that we’re going to get another opportunity to play at home on Saturday.” The Horned Frogs will host Missouri State in the second round of the WNIT on Saturday at Schollmaeir Arena. They beat the Lady Bears 82-68 in their last meeting during the 2014 regular season. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m.