TCU Falls at Houston 77-66

Saturday, January 13

Houston, Texas

2 PM

TCU

14-4,1-4Big 12

Houston

11-5,2-3Big 12

TCU

Houston

TCU Falls at Houston 77-66

1/13/2024 6:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Postgame Press Conference

Harris tallies season-high 16 points and seven rebounds in the second half

By: Brady Johnson

HOUSTON – TCU came up short in Space City, suffering a 77-66 loss at Houston on Saturday in the Fertitta Center.

The Horned Frogs received 20 points from Madison Conner and knocked down 10-20 attempts from deep in the defeat. Turnovers proved costly. Houston scored 26 points off 24 Horned Frogs giveaways.

The contest was marred by the loss of TCU point guard Jaden Owens (8.4 ppg, 7.2 apg), who exited the game midway through the first quarter after sustaining a lower body injury.

TCU was outscored 21-9 in the second quarter in the immediate aftermath of Owens' exit. The teams played even basketball in the first and fourth frames while the Horned Frogs produced a 15-14 scoring edge in the third period.

Conner's performance marked her eighth 20-point game of the 2023-24 campaign.

Sydney Harris added 16 points and seven rebounds – all of which came in the second half – across 19 minutes.

Agnes Emma-Nnopu chipped in seven points and rebounds apiece to match Harris' for the game-high on the boards.

Houston nursed a 15-13 lead when Owens went down. TCU countered with a 7-0 run via a 3-pointer by Emma-Nnopu and consecutive transition layups from Conner and Victoria Flores. The 20-17 lead proved to be TCU's final of the afternoon.

Tied 20-20, the Cougars separated from TCU via a 17-2 extended scoring run. TCU was held without a field goal for 5:50.

Five unanswered points from Harris cut Houston's lead down to 51-44 with 1:44 remaining in the third quarter.

Houston scored 10 of ballgame's the next 11 points over a three-minute span to regain a double-digit lead it never relinquished.

Laila Blair scored 33 points on 11-17 shooting. She collected 24 of her points in the first half and was 4-4 from downtown.

TCU outrebounded the Houston 39-31 and shot 46 percent from the field compared to a 43 percent Cougars clip.

Up Next

The Horned Frogs return home to face Big 12 leader Kansas State (17-1, 5-0 Big 12) at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Schollmaier Arena. TCU defeated the 12^th-ranked Wildcats 75-62 in February in the programs' most recent meeting. Kansas State knocked off No. 10 Texas 61-58 on Saturday and likely represent the third team featured in the top-10 of The Associated Press poll TCU will face in five games.

Team Notes

TCU employed its fifth starting lineup combination of the season. Roberson got the nod at the five alongside guards Owens, Conner, Jovanovic and Emma-Nnopu. The Horned Frogs have employed a unique lineup in three consecutive games.
The Horned Frogs knocked down 10-or-more 3-pointers for the 10^th time in 18 games.
TCU continues to rank second nationally in 3-pointers with 176.
TCU needs 78 three's to set the program's single-season record in the category.
Houston became the first opponent to exceed its season scoring average against TCU. The Cougars entered averaging 75 points per game.
TCU and Houston combined for nine 3-pointers in the first quarter.

Individual Notes

Roberson earned consecutive starts for the first time in her career.
Conner finished with a team-leading three steals.
Conner has scored in double figures in all 18 games this season.
Conner has drained 15-16 free throws over TCU's last three games.
Conner nailed a trio of 3-pointers, putting her 15 deep balls shy of setting TCU's single-season record for three's.
Harris went 6-8 from the field and 4-5 behind the arc.
Harris' 16-point effort signified the 25^th double-digit scoring effort of a college career that began at Central Michigan in 2022-23.
Jovanovic and Emma-Nnopu each recorded three assists.