In a hard-fought Big 12 tilt, No. 9 TCU women’s basketball lost, 59-50, on the road to No. 12 Kansas State at Bramlage Coliseum. Following an outstanding first half performance, the Horned Frogs could not maintain their offensive pace in the second half as the Wildcats pulled away late in the game.

Senior guard Serena Sundell paced Kansas State with a game- and team-high 27 points on 11-of-21 shooting with six rebounds. It was the dominance of Sundell in the paint, particularly in the second half, that proved the difference as the Wildcats overcame a slow start to outscore TCU 40-25 in the final 20 minutes.

The Horned Frogs started the game with defensive intensity, holding the Wildcats to just 25% shooting in the opening quarter. They capitalized on Kansas State’s struggles, taking an 8-8 tie after the first quarter and a 25-19 lead into halftime behind a balanced offensive effort. 

Madison Conner and Hailey Van Lith each contributed early buckets, while Sedona Prince controlled the glass with 11 rebounds on the night.

The second quarter rut seemingly flipped with the third as Kansas State got into its rhythm. The hot-shooting Wildcats shot 64.3% in the quarter and outscored TCU 24-11. Jaelyn Glenn paced them with 14 points, including a three-pointer by Gisela Sanchez to give the Wildcats their first lead since the first quarter.

TCU tried to rally in the final quarter, and Conner came up big to nail a crucial three-pointer as the Horned Frogs clawed within one at 44-43 with seven minutes remaining. Prince contributed with a driving layup with the Horned Frogs in striking distance but Sundell gave the answer of back-to-back baskets to take the Wildcats up by four points.

The Wildcats continued to employ the defensive pressure, forcing the Horned Frogs into hard shots late and finishing the game on a 9-2 run to complete their 10th conference victory of the year.

The Horned Frogs were ultimately slowed by turnovers: 17, compared to Kansas State’s 11. TCU wasn’t consistent from the free throw line and shot 53.8% while Kansas State made key free throws down the stretch.

Through defeat, Prince went for a team–high double of 14 points and 11 rebounds for TCU, which got 11 points and five assists from Van Lith. Despite their performance, offensive struggles in the second half buried the Horned Frogs.

Next up, the Frogs face Texas Tech on Feb. 8 back in the Schollmaier Arena at 4 p.m.