No. 9 TCU Dismantles Florida Atlantic 78-42

Wednesday, December 4

Fort Worth, Texas

6:30 PM

TCU

9-0,0-0Big 12

Florida Atlantic

5-4,0-0AAC

Fla. Atlantic

TCU

No. 9 TCU Dismantles Florida Atlantic 78-42

12/4/2024 10:38:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Postgame Press Conference

Horned Frogs win first game as an AP Top 10 team

FORT WORTH – TCU backed up its recently-minted No. 9 national ranking.

Playing their first-ever game as an AP Top 10 team, the Horned Frogs made easy work of Florida Atlantic, routing the Owls 78-42 inside Schollmaier Arena.

TCU buried Florida Atlantic from the moment the ball tipped, ripping off a 14-0 run over the first 2:48 of the midweek affair. The Frogs led by as many as 45 points late in the fourth quarter even while resting their starters during the final frame.

The win staked TCU to its second consecutive 9-0 start under head coach Mark Campbell. It sets the stage for a monumental matchup on Sunday, when the Frogs will battle third-ranked and reigning NCAA champion South Carolina (7-1) at 6 p.m. at Dickies Arena. The game is the first time top-10 matchup in program history and signifies the first time the defending national champion will visit Fort Worth in nonconference play.

TCU shot an uncharacteristic percent (30-76) clip from the field, but the periodic cold spells did not factor in its dismantling of the Owls. The Horned Frogs, who continue to lead the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio, assisted on 24 of their makes and committed just five turnovers. TCU also drained 12 three-pointers.

Hailey Van Lith registered a game-high 16 points on an efficient 7-14 clip. She netted 12 of her points in the first half before sitting the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter.

Reigning Big 12 Player of the Week Sedona Prince joined Van Lith in double figures with 14 points while recording five blocks. The performance marked the fifth time this season the 6-7 center, who leads the nation in blocks, has swatted away five-or-more shots.

Madison Conner and Taylor Bigby each connected thrice from downtown to the tune of nine points apiece. TCU also benefited from 25 bench points, a team-leading seven of which came from Knisha Godfrey in the third quarter.

Conner was on triple-double watch before Campbell called off the dogs with TCU leading 65-29 to begin the final frame. She paired eight rebounds and a game-leading seven assists and three steals with her trio of 3-pointers.

Bigby pitched in a season-high six assists of her own while Godfrey and Prince each finished with three.

TCU's five turnovers were tied for its second-fewest in a game this year and marked the third time the Frogs gave the ball away five times or less.

The Horned Frogs notched their seventh victory of at least 35 points with Wednesday's result.

In the blink of an eye, the scoreboard read 14-0 TCU. Prince sandwiched six points around 3-pointers from Bigby and Conner before Van Lith capped the torrid start with a dribble-drive layup.

TCU hit one of its final 13 field goals in the first quarter, which was the only variable enabling the Owls (5-3) to stay within striking distance early on.

Leading 18-12 to begin the second quarter, consecutive 3-pointers by Conner and Aaliyah Roberson (6 points, 3 rebounds) doubled up Florida Atlantic and gave TCU a double-digit lead it never relinquished. TCU closed the period on a 17-2 run to assume a 43-18 halftime lead.

TCU held the Owls to a paltry 7-34 (20.6 percent) from the field in the game's opening 20 minutes. The Frogs assisted on 15 of their 17 first half makes.

Godfrey's string of seven third quarter points propelled TCU further ahead, 61-29, with 1:39 left in the frame

Deasia Merrill and Donovyn Hunter scored six points and five points, respectively, in an even final frame.

All 13 active players entered the game for TCU, with nine players scoring at least five points.

TCU pulled down 49 rebounds, its second-most in a game this season, and enjoyed a 28-12 edge in points in the paint.

Team Notes

TCU won its 24^th consecutive nonconference game and 22^nd under Campbell.
The Horned Frogs notched their 20^th straight nonconference win at home.
TCU won nine games in a one-month span for the first time in program history with Wednesday's result.
Florida Atlantic shot 25 percent (16-63) from the field, marking the 28^th time under Campbell TCU has kept its opponent below a 40 percent clip.
TCU drained nine-or-more 3-pointers for the 25^th time in the Campbell era, improving its record to 21-4 when doing so.
The Owls became the 34^th foe Campbell-led TCU teams have prevented from reaching their season scoring average. No opponent has met or exceeded its points per game rate vs. the Frogs in 2024-25.
The Horned Frogs boosted their NCAA-leading assist-to-turnover ratio to 2.06.
TCU is now 35-8 at home as a ranked team.
The Frogs have now kept teams below 20 points in a half a single-season school record six times thus far in 2024-25.
TCU improved to 64-7 in nonconference games in Schollmaier Arena since the venue reopened in 2015.

Individual Notes

Prince and Van Lith – the nation's highest-scoring tandem – have both scored in double figures in every game this season.
Prince extended her streak of double digit scoring efforts to 30 games.
Prince finished with at least three blocks for the 18^th time in her TCU tenure.
Prince's fifth-and-final rejection in the win was the 100^th of her TCU career.
Van Lith has now led TCU in scoring for five consecutive games and six times this season.
Conner's seven assists were two shy of matching her career high.
Conner canned three-or-more 3-pointers for the 24^th time as a Frog.
Conner is now nine points shy of 1,000 for her career.
Bigby has buried three 3-pointers in three straight games.
Godfrey and Merrill both set single-game season highs in points scored.