Women’s Basketball: Marta Suarez’s buzzer beater gives No. 10 TCU a win over West Virginia

Number 10 ranked TCU women’s basketball picked up a win on the road in thrilling fashion this Wednesday, taking down the West Virginia Mountaineers by a score of 51-50. The Frogs were trailing 50-48 in the final moments of the game before Marta Suarez beat the buzzer with a contested three from the top of the key to give TCU a heart-stopping win in Morgantown. Timely offense and lockdown defense led TCU to a clutch win over a very solid West Virginia team. The Mountaineers were tied for second place in the Big 12 with TCU heading into this game, giving this win extra meaning in terms of the Big 12 title race. The Horned Frogs moved to 17-1 on the season and 5-1 in Big 12 play with the win as they sit in a tie for second place, just one game back of first place.

Olivia Miles led the Frogs in scoring with 14 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal against the Mountaineers. Miles had the three ball falling, knocking down four of seven attempts from beyond the arc against West Virginia. Marta Suarez had 11 points against the Mountaineers, including the game winning three, to go along with nine rebounds and three steals. What made the game-winner even more impressive was the fact that Suarez was 0-5 from three in the game before the shot, but she still had the confidence to take and drain the most important shot of the year for the Frogs. Clara Silva had an impactful game on both ends of the floor with six points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal and four blocks. Veronica Sheffey provided an important offensive punch off the bench, making three of four attempts from the field for eight points, two rebounds and one block.  

This was not the best offensive game that TCU has played this season, but the Frogs did a good job of taking advantage of defensive mishaps by making open threes and free throws. The Horned Frogs knocked down 38% of their shots from three as a team and six of six attempts from the free throw line. Turnovers were once again an issue for the TCU offense as the Frogs tallied 24 as a team compared to just five total assists. When easy shots are already hard to come by in a tight game, turning the ball over 24 times is a recipe for disaster. Clutch shots and excellent defense led the Frogs to a win but TCU will need to take better care of the ball moving forward. The TCU defense, on the other hand, was absolutely dominant, holding West Virginia to 28% shooting from the field and 13% shooting from three. The Mountaineers managed to make just 15 field goals as TCU’s shot contests were excellent all night. The great defense extended beyond good contests as TCU forced 23 turnovers compared to just six assists from the Mountaineers. One area to improve on would be defending without fouling. There were some questionable fouls called on the Horned Frogs, but West Virginia quadrupled TCU’s free throw attempts in the game, in part due to unnecessary fouls by the Frogs. All in all, the Horned Frogs were able to overcome a large free throw disparity and a tough night offensively to escape a hostile environment with a clutch win over a good team. TCU fans should feel great about this win and this team moving forward.

TCU will look to extend the winning streak to four games this Saturday in Fort Worth as they are set to take on Arizona at 4:00 pm. The Wildcats have had a tough start to the season at 1-4 in Big 12 play and 10-6 on the season. One player to watch for Arizona, however, is guard Mickayla Perdue who is averaging over 17 points per game on 44.2% shooting from the field.