Preview: vs. No. 4 South Carolina

Monday, March 30

Sacramento, Calif.

8 PM

TCU

South Carolina

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Preview: vs. No. 4 South Carolina

3/29/2026 7:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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TCU faces Gamecocks looking for ticket to first Final Four

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – TCU is 40 minutes away from its first Final Four, but to get there, the Horned Frogs will need to take out a titan of college basketball.

The third-seeded Frogs are set to battle three-time national champion and No. 1 seed South Carolina in the Sacramento 4 Regional final on Monday at the Golden 1 Center.

It will be the Frogs' second crack at the Gamecocks in the last two seasons. TCU fell 83-52 to South Carolina on Dec. 8, 2024 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth in the first meeting between the programs.

TCU pulled away for a 79-69 win over No. 10 seed Virginia on Saturday in the Sweet 16. South Carolina walloped No. 4 seed Oklahoma 94-68 earlier in the day to set up the Elite Eight clash.

The Game
Teams: #14 TCU (32-5 15-3 Big 12) vs. #4 South Carolina (34-3, 15-1 SEC)
Date: 8 p.m. CT on Monday, March 30
Location: Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California

Game Coverage
Television
ESPN

Courtney Lyle, Play-by-Play
Stephanie White, Analyst

Radio
KTCU 88.7 FM

Chris Blake, Play-by-Play

Westwood One Sports

Sam Niedermann, Play-by-Play
Debbie Antonelli, Analyst

Opening Tip

TCU and South Carolina are two of five teams to reach the Elite Eight in 2024-25 and 2025-26. The others are 2025 Final Four participants Texas UConn and UCLA.
The Horned Frogs and Gamecocks are the only Power Conference teams that repeated as regular season conference champions in 2026.
TCU is aiming to become the first team from the Big 12 to reach the Final Four since Baylor in 2019.
The Horned Frogs became the fourth Big 12 program to book back-to-back Elite Eight appearances with their victory on Saturday. TCU is the first conference affiliate to do so since Baylor in 2021.
A win over the Gamecocks would signify the second highest-ranked win in program history and count as the Horned Frogs' fifth all-time win over a top-five team.

Frog Focus

Monday's ballgame will be a measure of how much TCU has grown over the last 15 months. The Gamecocks handed the Horned Frogs their largest margin of defeat over the last three seasons when the teams met on Dec. 8, 2024 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. South Carolina overwhelmed the Horned Frogs 85-52 on a night the Gamecocks transformed 20 TCU turnovers into 30 points.
Despite the lopsided score, head coach Mark Campbell said the loss to South Carolina proved to be a learning opportunity. Since that game, the Horned Frogs have competed to a 57-8 overall record, notched 12 victories over AP Top 25 teams and won three league titles. None of the Horned Frogs' eight losses in that stretch have been by more than 12 points.
Much of the credit in laying the foundation for TCU's return to the Elite Eight goes to the pair of athletic directors involved in Monday's matchup. South Carolina athletic director Jeremiah Donati hired Campbell from Sacramento State on March 21, 2023 during his penultimate year in Fort Worth. Current TCU athletic director Mike Buddie inked Campbell to a five-year contract extension nearly two years to the date of his arrival in Funky Town on March 19, 2025. Buddie was installed at the head of Horned Frogs athletics on Jan. 6, 2025 and Campbell was the first head coach he issued a contract extension to.
Going through South Carolina and getting to Phoenix will firmly entrench the Horned Frogs as a national power alongside the Gamecocks. TCU and South Carolina are two of five programs who have tallied at least 65 victories over the last two seasons.
TCU is attempting to become the first team from the Big 12 to defeat South Carolina in seven years. The Gamecocks have won six straight ballgames vs. Big 12 foes and last lost to a team from the league in 2019, falling to eventual national champion Baylor.
The Horned Frogs and Gamecocks are two of only four teams at the Power Conference level to post consecutive 30-win campaigns in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Monday's match will pit two of the nation's elite defensive outfits opposite one another. TCU and South Carolina, alongside top-seeded UConn, are two of only three teams in the country shooting it 47 percent or better from the field while holding opponents below a 35 percent clip.
TCU and South Carolina both consistently benefit from elite rim protection. The Frogs have tallied the third-most blocks of any team in the country over the last three seasons (577) while the Gamecocks top the national charts in that stretch with 739.
Monday's ballgame is also a partial reunion for two of the teams' star players in Olivia Miles and South Carolina's Joyce Edwards, who led USA Basketball to a gold medal at the FIBA AmeriCup in July in Santiago, Chile.
The Horned Frogs are the only repeat undisputed Power Conference regular season champions in college basketball.
Behind Campbell, TCU has tallied the sixth-most victories (87) of any Division I program and notched 20 AP Top 10 rankings over the last three seasons. In the three season preceding his arrival in Funky Town, TCU competed to a 24-60 overall record and went entirely unranked.
Campbell's win-loss percentage since 2023-24 (.806) ranks ninth among all head coaches and sixth at the Power Conference level.
Strictly looking at the last two seasons, TCU ranks fifth among all Division I programs in wins (66) and win-loss percentage (.880).
In his introductory press conference on March 23, 2023, Campbell made a promise to Donati that he would transform TCU into the top basketball program in the Big 12 and one of the best in the country. Within two seasons of his hire, Campbell led TCU to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010 and the university's first Big 12 basketball championships. The Horned Frogs swept the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles in 2024-25 and went on to reach the Elite Eight, becoming the first TCU basketball team to win multiple games in March Madness.
Campbell has quickly developed a championship pedigree. He has won five conference titles in as many seasons as a head coach.
Though TCU is competing more than 1,700 miles from campus in Fort Worth, the Horned Frogs might as well be the adopted home team in the city of Sacramento. Campbell served as the head coach at Sacramento State for two seasons from 2021-23. Just as he did at TCU, Campbell led the institution to its first conference regular season and tournament championships and its first NCAA Tournament appearance in men's or women's basketball in his second-and-final season at the helm.
Playing for Campbell, especially as his starting point guard, might as well be a cheat code for claiming conference player of the year honors at this point. TCU's Olivia Miles was crowned Big 12 Player of the Year and is the fourth one-and-done transfer point guard to be named a league's top player in Campbell's five seasons as a head coach. Hailey Van Lith was tabbed the Big 12's best in 2024-25 while Sacramento State's Lianna Tillman and Kahlaijah Dean won Big Sky Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023. All four players averaged better than 17 points and five assists per game in Campbell's offense.
Miles was also a unanimous choice for Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. TCU has swept Big 12 Player and Newcomer of the Year in consecutive seasons. No program has won both awards in back-to-back years.
Five of TCU's eight All-Big 12 first team honorees have come under Campbell's tutelage in the last calendar year. Marta Suarez joined Miles as a unanimous choice on the all-conference first team mantle. Van Lith, Sedona Prince and Madison Conner all garnered first team accolades in 2024-25.
With Miles and Suarez's selections as All-Americans by The Associated Press, four of the seven All-Americans in program history have been recruited and developed by Campbell.
Miles and Suarez are the fifth highest-scoring duo in country, averaging a combined 36.9 points per game following Saturday's win over Virginia.
In the victory over the Cavaliers, Suarez (33 points, 10 rebounds) and Miles (28 points, 10 rebounds) each finished with at least 20 points and five rebounds for the eighth time this season. Their eight joint efforts with 20 points and five boards are more than any other duo in the country.
Miles and Suarez are also one the only duo nationwide averaging at least 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and two assists per game.
Miles and Suarez are the only pair of teammates in college basketball with at least 600 points and 250 rebounds to their names.
Either player has finished with a double-double or a triple-double in 17 ballgames.
TCU has benefitted from a 20-point performance by Miles, Suarez or hunter in 24 instances.
Miles and Suarez accounted for all 79 of TCU's points in Saturday's 10-point win over Virginia. The duo scored 61 points - their second-highest cumulative tally in a game - and assisted on the remaining 18.
TCU has won 11 of its last 12 ballgames dating back its 83-67 win at then-No. 12 Baylor on Feb. 12. Across those contests, Suarez (20.2 ppg) and Miles (19.4 ppg) have increased their joint scoring average to 39.6 points per game. At least one of the two players has put at least 20 points on the board in seven of TCU's 11 victories in that stretch.
The Horned Frogs have played their best basketball of the season over the last six weeks, and a key reason for the uptick in performance has been the emergence of Taylor Bigby as a third scorer. Bigby is averaging a career-high 10.8 points per game over her last 12 outings. She is shooting a team-high 41 percent from deep (28-68) and connecting at a 46 percent clip from the field. Bigby has scored in double figures in half of her last dozen ballgames, leading TCU to a victory every time.
To beat South Carolina, TCU will need its full offensive arsenal to perform. TCU boasts the fifth highest-scoring starting lineup in college basketball, as Miles, Suarez, Hunter, Bigby and Clara Silva average a combined 64.2 points per game. Only South Carolina (70.6 ppg), Oklahoma 68.5 ppg), UCLA (67.6 ppg) and Notre Dame (67.9 ppg) have higher-scoring starting fives.
Bigby and Silva both scored in double figures in each of TCU's opening round wins in the Big Dance and are averaging 29 points per game. In TCU's five defeats, the two players and Hunter have been limited to 21.8 points per game.
TCU is the only team in the country with four players who have each made 55 threes in Suarez (83), Miles (70), Bigby (63) and Hunter (59).
Those four players are responsible for 83 percent (272-330) of TCU's 3-point offense.
TCU needs 11 threes to become only the eighth program to make 1,000 over a three-season span.
The Horned Frogs top the Power Conference ranks in total 3-pointers over the last three seasons (996) by a sizeable margin. The next closest Power Conference team to matching TCU's 3-point output is Utah at 934 threes. After that, it's Iowa with 901.
TCU's 330 threes this season are the fifth-most of any team.
Since 2023-24 only Richmond (1,000) has connected from distance more times than TCU. The Horned Frogs are one of only two programs ranking in the top-10 nationally since 2023-24 in 3-point field goals (2nd, 996), 3-point percentage (6th, .367) and 3-point field goals per game (7th, 9.2).
TCU ranks second only to UConn among all D1 teams in field goal percentage defense (.336).
Nearly three-quarters of the Power Conference teams TCU has faced (18-25) have shot under 40 percent from the field vs. the Frogs' defense.
TCU has limited an NCAA-leading 15 teams below 30 percent shooting.
The Frogs have held 11 opponents to their lowest scoring outputs of the season.
TCU allowed just 60.3 points per game in Big 12 action, the third-fewest among all Power Conference teams in league affairs. Duke (56.1 ppg) and UCLA (59 ppg) were the only teams with better scoring defenses than the Horned Frogs in conference play.

Individual Notables
Olivia Miles

Averaging a triple-double - 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists per game - thus far in the NCAA Tournament.
Has dished out eight-plus assists in six of her nine career outings in the Big Dance, including all three of TCU's victories.
Racked up a combined 30 points, 26 rebounds and 22 assists in TCU's opening weekend wins over UC San Diego and Washington, marking the first 30-20-20 two-game run in the NCAA Tournament since Nicole Powell did so at Stanford in 2002.
Joined Powell and Sabrina Ionescu as one of only three players in NCAA history to record multiple triple-doubles in the NCAA Tournament.
Dished out all of her game-high eight assists in the second half of Saturday's 79-69 victory over No. 10 seed Virginia.
Is responsible for one-quarter of all triple-doubles recorded in NCAA D1 (6-of-24) in 2025-26.
Is the only player in NCAA history who has tallied at least 2,100 career points, 875 assists, 850 rebounds and 225 steals.
Leads all Division I players in season and career triple-doubles (12), career 15-point, 5-assist games (55) and career assist per game average (6.5) and all Division I guards in career double-doubles (37).
Notched her 900th career assist with her final dime of the night vs. the Cavaliers, becoming the 19th Division I player to achieve the milestone.
One of five players in NCAA history alongside Ionescu, Caitlin Clark, Courtney Vandersloot and Katie Dinnebier to record 700 points and 240 assists in a season.
Averaging 20.5 points per game vs. Power Conference teams.

Marta Suarez

Averaging a team-high 20.2 points per game over TCU's last 12 contests.
Has notched a double-double in six of her last nine starts, a run that began on Feb. 22 in TCU's 80-73 win over Iowa State.
Scored a career-high 33 points and broke TCU's NCAA Tournament single-game records for points scored and field goals (12) vs. Virginia.
Has finished as TCU's leading scorer in seven of its last 11 ballgames.
Averaging career-highs in points per game (17.3), rebounds per game (7.4), field goal percentage (.460) and 3-point percentage (.379).
One of only six players in the country with at least 625 points and 275 rebounds to her name.
Has racked up the fourth-most points in a season by a TCU player (639).
Has finished with at least 15 points and five rebounds in 21 games.
Has drilled the most 3-pointers ever in a season by a Big 12 forward (83).
Ranks sixth in the country among players 6-3-or-taller in 3-point percentage
Has connected at least three times from distance in 16 contests.
Scored in double figures in 14 straight games from Feb. 1 through TCU's first round victory over UC San Diego on March 20.

Taylor Bigby

Is now a three-time Elite Eight participant, having reached the quarterfinals first as a third-year sophomore at USC in 2024.
Has notched her two highest scoring outputs of the season in the Horned Frogs' pair of wins in the Big Dance; finished with a TCU NCAA Tournament single-game record 27 points vs. UC San Diego and tallied 15 against the Huskies two nights later.
Averaging a career high 10.8 points per game across her last 12 starts.
Notched her 20th career game with at least three 3-pointers in TCU's second round victory over Washington; has knocked down 12 deep balls thus far in March Madness.
Shooting 51 percent from the field and 49 percent behind the arc across 12 career NCAA Tournament games.

Clara Silva

Was dubbed the "MVP of the game" by head coach Mark Campbell after the Frogs' 62-59 overtime win over Washington on March 22; twice hit the go-ahead bucket on her way to finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds.
Averaging 12.3 points, nine rebounds and three blocks per game thus far in the NCAA Tournament.
One of 14 players in college basketball and one of five underclassmen averaging at least nine points, seven rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 55 percent from the floor.
Nineteen games with at least nine rebounds.
Racked up eight points, six rebounds and two blocks in the second half on Saturday vs. Virginia.
Ranks second among all Big 12 players in blocks per game (1.8) and 18th nationally in total blocks (63).

Donovyn Hunter

Two-time All-Defensive team honoree; earned Big 12 All-Defensive team honors in March and was tabbed to the Pac-12 All-defensive team in 2024 as a freshman at Oregon State.
Has reached the Elite Eight in all three years as a collegian, was the starting point guard as a freshman for a 2024-25 Oregon State squad that advanced to the quarterfinals.
Is facing South Carolina in the Elite Eight for the second time in her career; finished with 10 points, five assists and three rebounds vs. the Gamecocks on March 31, 2024 in her first NCAA quarterfinal game.
Has dished out four-plus assists in five of her 11 NCAA Tournament games.
Has in double figures in 19 games this season after tallying 10-plus in 19 games combined across her freshman and sophomore campaigns.
Playing a career high 33.7 minutes per game.

A Win Over the Gamecocks Would…

Be only the fifth time TCU has taken down an AP Top Five foe.
Count as the second highest-ranked win in program history.
Go down as the Horned Frogs' 10th all-time top-10 victory.
Signify the fourth time a Mark Campbell-led TCU team has defeated a top-10 adversary.
Boost the Horned Frogs' record vs. ranked teams to 14-6 over the last two seasons.
Lift TCU to its 44th all-time ranked win.
Deliver the Big 12 Conference its first Final Four appearance since Baylor won it all in 2019.
Tie for the sixth-most wins in a single season by a Big 12 team.
Mark the first time the Horned Frogs have won an NCAA Tournament game as the lower-seeded team in 20 years; TCU last achieved the feat on March 19, 2006, when the 11th-seeded Horned Frogs upset No. 6 seed Texas A&M 69-65 in Trenton, N.J. Prior to last season's run to the Elite Eight, the victory stood as TCU's most recent NCAA Tournament win.

Last Time Out vs. South Carolina

Only six active players on TCU and South Carolina's 2025-26 rosters touched the floor in last season's game. Donovyn Hunter and Taylor Bigby are the lone Horned Frogs who challenged the Gamecocks at Dickies Arena while Raven Johnson is the lone returning starter for South Carolina from the matchup.
South Carolina's sheer depth was showcased in the teams' first-ever encounter on the hardwood. The Gamecocks bench racked up 50 points compared to just 10 for TCU.
Hailey Van Lith led all players with 21 points and six assists. Outside of Van Lith, the Horned Frogs shot 29 percent from the floor and managed just 10 field goals.
South Carolina outscored TCU by a combined 44-18 margin across the second and third quarters, holding the Horned Frogs to nine points in both frames. The Gamecocks closed the first half on an 11-0 run to go on top 44-23 entering the locker room. TCU managed just three baskets in the third quarter as the deficit reached 30 points.
Last season's loss to South Carolina is one of only two nonconference defeats TCU has suffered under head coach Mark Campbell.
South Carolina and TCU were tabbed No. 3 and No. 9, respectively, in the AP Top 25 ahead of tipoff. The contest was TCU's first top 10 matchup in program history. Conversely, it was South Carolina's 60th such game at that time.