Women’s Basketball: No. 10 TCU earns first ranked Big 12 win since 2020, defeating No. 23 Utah 81-73

Horned Frogs created huge first half cushion and hold on down the stretch, led by 24 points from Hailey Van Lith

It was a showdown in Schollmaier on Friday night for just the second ever ranked-vs-ranked Big 12 matchup in the venue with No. 23 Utah Utes (13-5, 4-3 Big 12) to face 10th-ranked TCU Women’s Basketball. The Horned Frogs sprinted out to a massive advantage in the first half, shooting over 50% from three-point range, building a lead as high as 23 points. The Utes didn’t go silently into the Fort Worth night, opening up the second half with a n 11-2 run, eventually cutting the margin to five. TCU made eight of its ten free throw attempts in the final minute to seal the 81-73 victory and the program’s first ranked-vs-ranked Big 12 win.

Sedona Prince turned in her fifth consecutive 20+ point outing, scoring 23 on an efficient night, shooting 64% from the field even as the Utah defense made life difficult for her around the rim. Prince found herself early foul trouble and played most of the 4th quarter with four fouls, but avoided picking up that final whistle that would’ve taken the star off the court in the critical moments. Pick-and-roll action became supremely effective as Madison Conner and Hailey Van Lith were able to stack up assists dishing to the center at the elbow for her signature smooth jumpers or on the low block for a strong lay-in.

Van Lith was once again a special playmaker for the Horned Frogs, putting defenders on skates, taking contact at the rim and getting circus layups to fall, and pulling attention of the opposition to distribute to the shooters. She led the Frogs with 24 points in the game, but got things off to a shaky start, having trouble finding the shooting stroke in the first quarter, shooting 28% from the field, including 0-3 from deep, while picking up a pair of fouls in the opening 10 minutes. Undeterred, she bounced back in the 2nd quarter with 10 points and 50% shooting from three-point range as the Horned Frogs owned the period.

Madison Conner put an exclamation point on the first half with a mean ankle-breaking drive & step back at the top of the key, sending the Utah defender flailing on the court as the nation’s leading three-point shooter drilled one of her three made 3FGs on the day. Conner finished with 13 points, shooting 50% from beyond the arc and led the Horned Frogs with six assists.

While Utah’s Gianna Kneepkens was on the receiving end of that highlight, she produced plenty of her own for the Utes as the engine for the visitors’ comeback efforts in the second half. Kneepkens would finish with a season-high 26 points, 21 of which came after halftime as she’d make four 3FGs, draw an abundance of fouls leading to seven FT attempts, and also grab seven rebounds in that second half.

The Utes finally looked like the team that had climbed into the Top 25, clawing away at TCU’s monumental lead, reducing it to single-digits late in the third quarter and eventually narrowing the margin to five in the final 30 seconds of regulation. In the end, TCU showed both the immense skill it takes to become a Top Ten squad and the resilience it’ll take to remain one. The Horned Frogs will have another ranked challenge on Wednesday as it travels to Stillwater, OK to take on No. 24 Oklahoma State (14-3, 4-2 Big 12), with tip off set for 6:30 PM on ESPN+