With TCU riding a four-game losing streak and sitting in the bottom fourth of the conference standings, a win for the Frogs in Norman on Thursday night was going to take a superhuman effort.
The team’s leading scorer – senior guard Lauren Heard – stepped up to the plate and delivered a strong performance to get the job done for TCU.
Falling just one rebound short of a triple-double, Heard led the Frogs to a thrilling 83-79 win over the Sooners on Thursday, and TCU has now defeated the Oklahoma three straight times on their home court.
Heard finished with 31 points (her second game in a row to reach the 30-point mark), nine rebounds and a school-record 11 steals. Her 13 made free throws also now sit at third in TCU single-game history.
The senior, who was a preseason Naismith Award watchlist member, was most present in the fourth quarter. She scored eight of TCU’s first 10 points in a period where they outscored Oklahoma 27-19.
Things were tense between the two teams up until the final seconds, but the Frogs were able to ice the game at the free-throw line with 17 seconds remaining following the Sooners’ missed three-pointer on their last relevant possession.
TCU scored 23 points in the second quarter, their highest all season, on 47 percent shooting as a team to go up 41-36 at the halftime break.
Before their game-clinching fourth quarter, the Frogs also showed poise by recovering from an 18-3 Sooners run to only be down four going into the final 10 minutes.
Joining Heard in double figures for TCU were guards Aja Holmes and Tavy Diggs, who scored 13 and 12 points each, respectively.
Forward Michelle Berry also put forth a well-rounded effort in the win, tallying nine points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.
The win was just the fourth in Big 12 play for TCU, leaving them as the 8th seed in the standings with the conference tournament in just a week.
Before the tournament, the Frogs have their season closer at home against the Texas Longhorns. Tip-off is scheduled for Sunday, March 7 at 1 p.m.
