For the second time in the last three seasons, the TCU Horned Frogs are headed to the Elite Eight. Under Mark Campbell’s turnaround tenure as head coach, they now sit on the cusp of the Final Four yet again.
But a huge obstacle still remains. South Carolina will be waiting on Monday night in Sacramento’s Golden One Center, with experience, talent and one of the game’s all-time great coaches in Dawn Staley.
TCU’s 79-69 win on Saturday over 10th-seeded Virginia was impressive for the way that the superduo of Olivia Miles and Marta Suarez took over the offensive load, the way that the Horned Frogs dominated the third quarter and the way they stayed poised down the stretch as Virginia pressed them aggressively and cut a double-digit lead down to six points with 27.1 seconds to go.
But more will be required of TCU against the Gamecocks. More of everything.
The takeaways from this game provide clues as to TCU’s prospects on Monday evening in the California state capitol.
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A team-wide effort
There is no denying that Miles is an extraordinary all-around talent, with unmatched quickness and court vision. And Suarez is a rare combination of post and perimeter threat, with size, strength to present a mismatch everywhere on the floor.
But the pair of them scored 61 of TCU’s 79 points against Virginia and the combo had a hand in all 79. Better balance will be needed against South Carolina.
“It’s not like our gameplan is that Marta and Olivia do all the scoring for us,” Campbell said. “I think one of the things that make us hard to guard is that we have a wide range of weapons…We need everybody in order to beat South Carolina. We’ve got to play the best game we’ve played all season.”
Third-quarter magic
TCU has outscored opponents in the third quarter this season by more than 200 points. It takes time, Miles said, for this team to settle into a game, obviously 10 new players, and so we are still getting that chemistry game-by-game, but it takes us about a quarter or half to settle in, take their punches and realize what they are doing to us. But I think we’ve proven all year that we can settle down, be mature, be poised and find our rhythm offensively and defensively.”
The Hunter on defense
Donovyn Hunter is this team’s heart-and-soul on the defensive side, the player who is directing her team on the floor. She is also frequently drawing the toughest defensive assignment. Hunter held Virginia’s Kymore Johnson to eight second-half points on 3 of 11 shooting Saturday. An assignment on South Carolina’s Raven Johnson Monday may determine the outcome of the game.
“She’s such a hidden gem,” Miles said. “She does everything for our team. She runs a lot of screen-the-screener, chasing staggers. She’s getting hit left and right. She’s staying out on pump fakes, stuff that I don’t want to do, and the rest of the team does not want to do. But she’s so incredible and so strong-minded and so selfless. I have the utmost confidence in her that she is going to stop anyone that is coming at her.”
The motivation of second (or third) chances
In the last three years, TCU has brought in 18 players from the portal. Suarez and Miles are here to make it further than they had in their previous schools.
Both of them already have.
“I’m very grateful, very blessed and at the same time, ‘Okay, next game,” Suarez said. “It’s a pretty quick turnaround and I’m excited we got the win, but I’m kind of ready to get going again.”
Miles pumped her fists at the prospect of being in the Elite Eight.
“Yes, I’m finally out of the Sweet 16,” Miles said, smiling broadly. “I’m so happy about that, but that’s just a bonus as to what I wanted to do here. Ultimately, I wanted to find my joy back.”
