Conner Scores 33 to Lead No. 12 TCU Past Samford

Tuesday, December 17

Fort Worth, Texas

6:30 PM

TCU

11-1,0-0Big 12

103

Samford

4-9,0-0SoCon

Samford

TCU

103

Conner Scores 33 to Lead No. 12 TCU Past Samford

12/17/2024 10:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Postgame Press Conference

Shot 8-16 from distance in 103-64 win; is now TCU’s all-time leader in 30-point games

FORT WORTH – Madison Conner has treated Schollmaier Arena to a handful of special shooting performances, and Tuesday was her latest authoring.

Conner lit up Samford for 33 points behind an 8-16 clip from downtown and led No. 12 TCU to a comfortable 103-64 win.

The senior shot 7-11 behind the arc in the first half and entered the locker room with 23 points. She notched the fifth 30-point performance of her career, four of which have transpired on Walsh Family Court. Conner's 33 points were her second most in a game as were her eight 3-pointers.

Conner was one of five Horned Frogs to score in double figures.

TCU improved to 11-1 ahead of its Big 12 opener on Saturday at UCF (7-3).

The Frogs connected at an even 50 percent clip (38-76) and drained 16 three-pointers for the third time this season. TCU continues to lead the NCAA in games with at least a dozen deep balls (seven).

Hailey Van Lith, Donovyn Hunter and Aaliyah Roberson tacked on two 3-pointers apiece to TCU's final tally.

Van Lith netted 15 points and led all players with eight assists against no turnovers. Hunter paired a TCU career-high 14 points on 6-8 shooting with five steals. Roberson gave TCU 10 points and seven boards across a team-leading 23 minutes off the bench.

A stretch four by trade, Roberson helped fill a void at center vs. the Bulldogs (4-9). She alternated at the five with Deasia Merrill, who earned her first start as a Frog in place of Sedona Prince.

Merrill filled in admirably for the All-Big 12 center. She tallied an efficient 13 points and seven rebounds over 12 minutes.

Agnes Emma-Nnopu matched her career-high on the glass and led all players with 14 rebounds.

Conner netted 11 points in the first quarter and knocked down a trio of triples. TCU dished out 10 of its 26 assists in the opening frame.

A 3-10 start to the field for TCU is all that kept Samford within striking distance in the opening minutes. TCU led 15-12 with 3:10 remaining following consecutive one drives by Van Lith. The Horned Frogs hit five of their last seven field goals and used a 7-2 scoring spurt over the final 1:18 to take a nine-point lead.

Conner's fifth 3-pointer arrived at the 5:27 mark of the second period and staked TCU to a 41-25 edge. It marked the sixth time in Conner's career she has drained five-or-more 3-pointers in a half. Conner has now connected from long range at least five times on 11 occasions in purple and white.

Back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers – two of which came from Conner – widened TCU's lead to 54-31 with 1:23 left before halftime. Hunter, Merrill and Van Lith each scored seven first half points.

Understandably, Samford keyed in on Conner out of the break. She still led all players with 10 second half points, going 5-5 at the foul line.

TCU took an 81-48 lead into the final frame. Hunter, Van Lith and Merrill combined for 21 second half points.

The Horned Frogs produced an assist-to-turnover ratio of at least 4-1 for the fourth time in 2024-25. TCU turned it over just six times against its 26 assists.

TCU finished with a 48-24 advantage on the glass and benefitted from 40 points in the paint. Nineteen of the Frogs' boards came on the offensive end, with Emma-Nnopu accounting for six.

Up Next
TCU tips vs. UCF at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday in the Sunshine State to begin conference play. It will be the second meeting between the Horned Frogs and Knights as Big 12 adversaries. TCU memorably defeated the Knights, 66-60, on Jan. 23 in Schollmaier Arena in the teams' first collision under the Big 12 banner. The Horned Frogs added four walk-on players, including sophomore guard Ella Hamlin, to their roster one day prior to the game after holding open tryouts due to compounding injuries.

Team Notes

TCU extended its home nonconference winning streak to 22 games.
TCU improved to 37-8 overall and 9-1 under Mark Campbell at home as a ranked team.
The Horned Frogs have now notched 12 straight home victories in the month of December.
The Horned Frogs won their 62^nd game when sporting an AP Top 25 ranking.
TCU has finished with at least 20 assists in eight of its nine home wins.
The Horned Frogs improved their assist per game average to 21.3, a mark that is now tied with No. 4 UConn for third nationally.
TCU moved to second in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.94).
The Horned Frogs had five players score in double figures for the third time this year.
TCU is the only team in the country to hit 15-plus three-pointers on three occasions thus far in 2024-25.
TCU knocked down 12-or-more 3-pointers for the 16^th time in the last two seasons.
The Horned Frogs scored 100 points vs. a D1 opponent for the eighth time in program history and second this season.
TCU came one offensive rebound shy of matching its season high.
The Horned Frogs shot 50 percent or better from the field for the fifth time this year.

Individual Notes

Prince missed Tuesday's game due to illness.
Conner became TCU's all-time leader in 30-point games, overtaking Lauren Heard (four) atop the Frogs' record book. She only needed 39 games to achieve the feat.
Conner continues to lead the nation in games with at least five 3-pointers over the last two seasons with 11.
Conner now ranks first nationally in 3-pointers (48) and 3-pointers per game (4.0)
Conner attempted 15-or-more three-pointers for the fifth time in 39 outings as a Frog. She's connected at least seven times behind the arc each game.
Conner's 23 points over the opening 20 minutes were her most ever in a half.
Emma-Nnopu has been the game's leading rebounder in TCU's last two victories.
Emma-Nnopu has snagged 24 rebounds over her last two games. She pulled down nine of her 14 boards vs. Samford in the second half.
Van Lith produced an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.5or-better for the eighth time in 12 starts this season.
Van Lith is now tied for eighth among D1 players in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.5).
Hunter is averaging 11 points in her last two games. She has also collected six assists against zero turnovers.
Roberson's 10 points were one shy of matching her season high.
Roberson scored in double figures for the 15^th time in the last two seasons.
Merrill made her 64^th start in a five-year college career spanning stops at Georgia State (2020-24) and Kentucky (2019-20).
Campbell became the fastest TCU head coach to win 25 home games with the result. He improved to 25-4 (.862) inside Schollmaier Arena.