KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hailey Van Lith delivered an impressive performance with 19 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, while Sedona Prince contributed a double-double of 18 points and 16 rebounds. Together, they propelled No. 8 TCU to a hard-fought 71-65 victory over No. 16 West Virginia, securing their place in the women’s Big 12 Tournament championship for the first time in TCU’s history.
As the top seed, TCU will advance to face either No. 21 Oklahoma State or No. 17 Baylor in the tournament finals on Sunday.
Madison Conner played a key role by sinking five 3-pointers as part of her 16-point contribution, while Agnes Emma-Nnopu made a timely return from injury, adding nine points. This triumph brings TCU within one game of claiming their first conference tournament title since their days in Conference USA back in 2005.
For the fourth-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers, JJ Quinerly led the team with 20 points, while Sydney Shaw and Kylee Blacksten each added 11 points. Jordan Harrison chipped in with 10 points before fouling out, as they fell short of reaching their first title game since 2021.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Horned Frogs held a comfortable 62-51 lead, but West Virginia mounted a comeback attempt, narrowing the gap to 62-57 following a basket by Quinerly with just 3:30 remaining. However, TCU capitalized on three consecutive offensive rebounds, setting the stage for a crucial 3-pointer by Conner. Coach Mark Campbell’s squad managed to hold off the Mountaineers in the final moments.
West Virginia found it challenging to counter Prince’s dominance in the post throughout the contest, as several of Van Lith’s assists found their way to the 6-foot-7 forward, who achieved an efficient 9 of 11 shooting performance.
TCU’s unselfish play was evident in their ability to share the ball, tallying 19 assists on their 25 made field goals, with Donovyn Hunter contributing six assists.
The turning point arrived when TCU rebounded three missed shots, allowing Conner to sink a decisive 3-pointer. This pivotal shot provided the breathing room the Horned Frogs needed to see out the game.
TCU stands on the brink of collecting their fourth conference tournament championship in their history.
Next, TCU will compete against either the Cowgirls or the Bears in the quest for the conference title. Meanwhile, West Virginia awaits its NCAA tournament fate.
