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TCU women knock down 14 3-pointers in 68-58 victory at BYU

By Daily Herald - | Feb 22, 2024

Courtesy BYU Photo

BYU's Lauren Gustin squares off against a TCU player during a Big 12 women's basketball game at the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024.

The 3-pointers fell for TCU.

They didn’t for BYU.

The results was a 68-58 road victory for the Horned Frogs on Wednesday in the Marriott Center.

The visitors made 14 of 29 (48.3%) from beyond the arc, including a combined 8 of 14 (57%) between guards Agnes Emma-Nnopu (17 points) and Aaliyah Roberson (23 points). The Cougars, the No. 2 3-point shooting team in the Big 12 at 37%, managed just 6 of 21 (28.6%) from distance.

The game tilted back and forth throughout, with eight combined runs of six points or more before TCU surged ahead in the third quarter to take a double-digit lead heading into the fourth.

Lauren Gustin led the Cougars (15-13, 5-10 Big 12) with 13 points and 16 rebounds to notch her 26th double-double of the year. Kaylee Smiler and Lauren Davenport tallied 10 points apiece. Smiler also recorded three blocks while Rose Bubakar chipped in eight points.

Only six of TCU’s 20 made shots came from two-point range as the Horned Frogs finished 20-of-50 (40%) from the field. Despite twelve more shot opportunities for BYU, the Cougars went 21-of-62 (33.9%) from the field.

Although the Horned Frogs (17-9 overall, 4-11 Big 12) outrebounded the Cougars 40-33, BYU won the turnover battle with only eight giveaways to TCU’s 14.

The first quarter ended in a 17-17 tie. The second period began with a dime from Gustin to a driving Bubakar, who went up strong for a shot off the glass and the foul. The junior converted the ensuing free throw to complete the three-point play.

With the score at 20-19 for BYU, Smiler soared high for a come-from-behind block to ignite a fast break that saw Davenport find an open Gustin in the paint for a score off the glass. After the Horned Frogs went up 23-22, Smiler knocked down a triple early in the shot clock. Woolston then notched her first steal of the night to set up a fast break foul that put Calvert at the charity stripe for two makes.

With BYU up 27-23, TCU closed out the final three minutes of the half on a 6-0 run to take a 29-27 halftime lead. The sequence came on two more triples.

Headed to the locker room, the Horned Frogs had outrebounded the Cougars 21 to 18 and had converted on 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) attempts from three.

TCU began the half with seven-straight points to open a 36-27 advantage. Following a close-range bucket from Gustin, TCU hauled in an offensive rebound and kicked it out for a second-chance triple. Calvert responded with an impressive turnaround to trim the deficit to eight before TCU hit another 3-pointer to make it 42-31.

Following a media timeout, Smiler hit a pair of free throws before TCU knocked down another second-chance three before a layup and a foul to take its biggest lead of the game at 48-33. With 1.1 left on the quarter clock, Woolston lobbed a pass into the crowded paint for Gustin as she scored with a foul, converting the three-point play to end the quarter trailing 50-38.

After TCU retook a 15-point advantage at 53-38, the Cougars applied full-court pressure and embarked on a 7-0 run, holding TCU scoreless for over three minutes. Gustin’s pull-up jumper near the free throw line was followed by a layup from Woolston. Despite an empty possession after three offensive boards, Davenport hit a triple on the Cougars’ next trip down the floor, after a Horned Frog turnover, to cut the deficit to 53-45 with 5:50 to go.

TCU responded to the Cougar momentum with a 6-0 run of their own to push its lead back to 14.

Staring at a 60-45 deficit, BYU went on another run, scoring eight unanswered with four points from Davenport and layups from Gustin and Woolston. Down just 60-53 with under two minutes remaining, TCU’s Aaliyah Roberson hit what became the dagger three to go up 63-53 with 1:22 left.

The Cougars (15-13, 5-10) will head to Ames, Iowa for a Saturday rematch with Iowa State in hopes of avenging an 80-75 home loss on Jan. 6. The game tips at 6 p.m. CT and will be available to watch on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ or to listen via live play-by-play on BYU Radio 107.9FM/BYURadio.org/BYU Radio App with Jason Shepherd.

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