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No. 9 TCU women’s came up just short of a signature victory as the Horned Frogs fell 71-69 to No. 12 Ohio State Monday in the Coretta Scott King Classic in Newark, N.J.
It was an intense final two minutes between the two ranked teams. With 2:03 remaining the Horned Frogs trailed 65-64.
After forcing a turnover due to an illegal screen, TCU guard Olivia Miles put the Horned Frogs (18-2) back in front 66-65 with 1:25 remaining after knocking down two free throws.
However, the Buckeyes (17-2) would retake the lead with two free throws of their own. Miles had a chance to retake the lead, but her 3-point attempt was wide to the right. That’s when Ohio State delivered the dagger.
With the shot clock winding down, Buckeyes guard Chance Gray drilled a 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining to put Ohio State ahead 70-66. It was Gray’s sixth 3-pointer of the game as she led the Buckeyes with 22 points.
Veronica Sheffey kept TCU’s hopes alive as she banked in a 3-pointer from the corner with 0.6 seconds remaining. The Buckeyes kept the door open by splitting at the free throw line as Jaloni Cambridge’s second attempt missed the rim. That allowed TCU to take a timeout and advance the ball into the halfcourt for one final shot with 0.3 seconds remaining.
Turnovers proved to be the difference as TCU turned it over 20 times against Ohio State’s full-court press. The Buckeyes scored 18 points off of the Horned Frogs’ miscues.
TCU will face Central Florida at 1 p.m. Saturday in Orlando.
Homecoming for Miles
Monday was a special moment for Miles as she got an opportunity to play in her home state of New Jersey. Newark is located just 12 miles from Miles’ hometown of Summit. Playing in front of plenty friends and families, Miles put on a stellar performance against a top-15 opponent.
Miles nearly had a double-double in the first half with 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists as the Horned Frogs led 36-33 at halftime. Miles put pressure on the Ohio State with her ability to drive to the basket as she got to the free throw line 10 times and made nine free throws.
Despite her misses late in the clutch Miles still had a strong game with 24 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
Adjusting without Scherr
TCU was forced to play without starting guard Maddie Scherr against Ohio State after the senior injured her back in Saturday’s win over Arizona State. It was a disappointing setback for Scherr, who missed all of last season with a back injury.
Without Scherr in the lineup the Horned Frogs turned to veteran wing Taylor Bigby to take Scherr’s spot in the starting lineup. Bigby flourished in her starting opportunity as she knocked down multiple important 3-pointers in the second half, including at the end of the third quarter when Ohio State had taken a 47-46 lead in the final seconds of the period. Bigby responded with a massive 3-pointer to give TCU a 49-47 lead entering the final quarter.
Scherr was a defensive stopper for the Horned Frogs and Bigby also held her own defensively against Ohio State’s talented back court. Bigby finished with 14 points and four 3-pointers. Despite how well she played, TCU missed Scherr’s ability to be a secondary ball handler against Ohio State’s full-court press.
Keeping Cambridge in check
Cambridge entered Monday’s game as one of the nation’s most prolific guards as she averaged 21.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists. There’s a case to be made that Cambridge is the most talented guard TCU has faced this season.
But even without Scherr TCU was successful in making life tough for the dynamic scorer. After the first three quarters Cambridge had just eight points and was held to 4-of-16 shooting by a locked-in Horned Frog defense.
But like most stars do, Cambridge played her best when it mattered the most as she scored nine points in the fourth quarter including an important 3-pointer that gave Ohio State a 65-62 lead with 3:10 remaining. Despite shooting 7-of-22 from the field, Cambridge still finished with 18 points.
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Steven Johnson
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