TCU Steals National Spotlight in 66-60 Takedown of UCF

Tuesday, January 23

Fort Worth, Texas

6:30 PM

TCU

15-4,2-4Big 12

UCF

9-8,0-7Big 12

UCF

TCU

TCU Steals National Spotlight in 66-60 Takedown of UCF

1/23/2024 11:59:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Postgame Press Conference

First game back since holding open tryouts due to injuries

FORT WORTH – TCU found yet another way to emit in full across the national radar on Tuesday.

The Horned Frogs rallied past UCF 66-60 in Schollmaier Arena just five days after holding open tryouts due to compounding injuries.

TCU played the game without its top three scorers in Sedona Prince (21.2 ppg), Madison Conner (21 ppg) and Jaden Owens (7.8 ppg) and was down multiple other scholarship players.

The win was so significant that it led to a postgame feature on SportsCenter for head coach Mark Campbell, who ensured TCU (15-4, 2-6 Big 12) will enter postseason play with a winning record for the first time in four seasons.

The Horned Frogs added four walk-ons in the hours leading into Tuesday's tilt, including dual-sport standout Sarah Sylvester. A 6-3 middle blocker for TCU volleyball, Sylvester checked into the game with a minute remaining in the third quarter to a thunderous ovation.

TCU stared down a 56-51 deficit – its largest of the game – with eight minutes to play. The Horned Frogs scored on three consecutive trips down court to dwindle the knights' lead to one possession.

From there, TCU closed the game on a 9-0 run and held the Knights (9-8, 0-7 Big 12) scoreless over the final 4:16. The Horned Frogs harassed UCF into a turnover on five of its final seven possessions.

Victoria Flores orchestrated a steal near the top of the key into a coast-to-coast layup to give the Horned Frogs the lead for good at 62-60 with 1:18 to go.

Agnes Emma-Nnopu put the game on ice from there, going 4-4 at the foul line over the final 18 seconds.

TCU outscored the Knights by a combined 42-27 margin over the first and fourth frames and led following the conclusion of every quarter.

Emma-Nnopu paired 10 points with a game-leading eight rebounds.

Aaliyah Roberson tallied a team-high 17 points on 8-10 shooting in her first career start at the five.

Sydney Harris and Una Jovanovic gave TCU four scorers in double figures, respectively finishing with 14 points and 10 points.

Tara Manumaleuga paced TCU's offense behind a game and career-high seven assists.

TCU implemented the 5-out motion offense in the wake of Prince and Owens' injuries. Early on, the pivot in philosophy yielded immediate returns.

The Horned Frogs canned 10 of their first 11 field goals, five of which came from behind the arc, to triple up the Knights 24-8 less than seven minutes into the ballgame.

Harris buried three of her four makes from distance in the opening frame. Roberson kept pace in the period with seven points of her own.

UCF whittled TCU's early advantage down to two at 33-31 entering the intermission.

Consecutive 3-pointers by Jovanovic, followed by a pair of free throws from Emma-Nnopu, capped an 8-2 TCU scoring spurt that widened the team's edge to 46-37 at the 5:18 mark of the quarter.

The Knights lanced back with a 10-o run over the ensuing 1:51 of play to go in front by a point.

Harris pocketed five points in TCU's final two possessions of the frame and gave TCU a one-point edge entering the fourth quarter.

TCU finished with a 19-12 advantage in assists.

The Horned Frogs held UCF to a 21 percent clip (3-14) from behind the arc.

Up Next

TCU jaunts to west Texas to battle Texas Tech (14-6, 3-4 Big 12) at 2 p.m. on Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena.

Team Notes

TCU deployed its sixth unique starting lineup of the season, rolling out a quintet comprised of Emma-Nnopu, Flores, Jovanovic, Manumaleuga and Roberson.
TCU enjoyed two 7-0 runs in the first quarter.
UCF became the 14^th opponent TCU had kept at-or-below 25 percent from distance.
The Horned Frogs' 27 points in the opening frame matched their highest scoring output in the first quarter this season.
TCU scored 32 points in the paint to the Knights' 26.
TCU assisted on 79 percent (19-24) of its field goals, signifying the eighth time it has been credited with an assist on at least 75 percent of its makes from the field in a game.
The Horned Frogs have now had four players score in double figures in eight games.
TCU is now one victory away from doubling its win total from last season.

Individual Notes

Flores and Manumaleuga earned their first starts of the 2023-24 campaign.
Roberson's 17 points were a career-high.
Roberson entered halftime with 11 points.
Harris is averaging 15 points and 5.5 rebounds per game over her last two outings.
Harris played a TCU career-high 21 minutes.
Flores dished out a college career-best five assists.
Flores finished with four steals.
Jovanovic reached double digits in scoring for the fourth time this season.
Jade Clack earned a season-high seven minutes off the bench.
Sylvester became the first TCU student-athlete to play varsity basketball and volleyball in the same season.
Preferred walk-ons Piper Davis, Ella Hamlin and Mekhayia Moore all dressed for the first time since officially joining the roster on Monday.