TCU
Oklahoma
Big Lead Fades, OU Beats TCU 78-65
1/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2016
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery 
FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter but a big run by Oklahoma in the fourth quarter helped the 17th-ranked Sooner leave Fort Worth with a 78-65 win over TCU on Wednesday night.
TCU (10-4, 2-1) led 60-52 with 6:35 left in the game when senior Zahna Medley knocked in a pair of free throws before the Sooners responded with an 18-1 run that eventually ballooned to 26-5 to end the ballgame. The Frogs were held without a field goal in the final 7:13 of the game.
Medley finished with a game high 19 points, hitting three three-point field goals and dishing out five assists in the loss. Sophomore AJ Alix added 14 points while junior Jada Butts had 11 points, nine rebounds and four steals off the bench.
"It's disappointing that we had done enough for significant periods of the game to not be able to finish the job, but this will be a game that we get better from," said TCU coach Raegan Pebley. "We will get wins because of this game. There's opportunities for us to gain confidence, there's opportunities for us to learn, and we'll turn this mistake into motivation."
The Frogs used a 10-0 run that expanded to 14-3 to build their biggest lead of the first half at 31-19. Five points from Alix, followed by five points from Medley composed the 10-0 run while another basket from Jordan Moore and Butts capped the 14-3 run.
Oklahoma answered with an 8-2 run to keep it close and get within 33-27 before the teams exchanged points to close the half and settled on a six-point margin at the break at 38-32. The Frogs held Oklahoma to just 36.4 percent shooting in the opening half while taking advantage of their own success from downtown, hitting 6-of-11 from three-point range.
The Frogs started strong out of the locker room, opening with a 10-2 run out of the break that forced an Oklahoma timeout after the lead went to 48-34 in favor of TCU. The Sooners gradually fought back and closed within four at 54-50 thanks to a 6-0 run to end the quarter.
Senior Destynee Hives-McCray and senior Caitlin Diaz helped TCU extend the lead back to six early in the fourth quarter at 56-50 and 58-52 before the Sooners took over. Their 7-0 run cut the lead to one at 60-59 before AJ Alix hit a free throw. Oklahoma then tied the game at 61-61 on basket by Kaylon Williams with 3:22 to go.
Oklahoma forced TCU into 22 turnovers that resulted in 25 Oklahoma points. The Sooners also scored 27 second chance points in the game off 19 offensive rebounds.
QUOTES OF THE GAME
"TCU is a really good team," said Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale. :There are going to be so many team in our league that come in here and do not survive. [TCU] is very hard to guard, and they're going to win a lot of ball games."
NOTES
• TCU's six game home winning streak in Big 12 Conference play came to an end with the loss to Oklahoma.
• TCU made just 1-of-10 shots to end the game, part of the reason that Oklahoma was able to build a 26-5 run to close out the game.
• The Frogs held a 30-28 advantage going into the fourth quarter on the boards but were outrebounded 16-6 in the fourth quarter.
UP NEXT
The Frogs travel to Waco this weekend to take on Baylor. Tipoff is set for 11:00 a.m. on FSN. The game is also available on the radio via KTCU 88.7 FM in the DFW Metroplex and through GoFrogs.com with Jeff Williams (play-by-play) on the call.
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