Waco, TX—Sedona Prince came out firing, taking charge of the game from the very start and scoring the first six points for TCU. By the time the first timeout was called at 4:12, TCU led 6-4. Prince’s dominance continued as she contributed 10 of TCU’s first 12 points in the opening quarter. Hailey Van Lith added 2 points, and by the end of the first quarter, TCU had a 12-7 advantage.
The second quarter began with Van Lith hitting a three-pointer, followed by Donavyn Hunter knocking down another three. However, Baylor wasn’t going to let TCU pull away. When Aaronetta Vonleh made 1 of 2 free throws, Baylor closed the gap to just two points, 17-15, prompting a media timeout at 4:50.
After the timeout, Prince set a screen for Van Lith to score a layup, and then Fielder scored back-to-back baskets to tie the game at 19-19 with 2:58 remaining. Prince left the game briefly after taking a hard hit to the abdomen. Hunter and Agnes Emma Nnopu hit consecutive threes, and Van Lith added a pull-up jumper to close out the first half with TCU leading 27-21. Prince was just three rebounds shy of a double-double at the break, having led all scorers with 12 points, while Van Lith had 9 and Baylor’s Felder contributed 7.
The third quarter began slowly. Madison Conner scored her first points of the game with a three-pointer almost two minutes in, and Vonleh quickly followed with six consecutive points. Vonleh spearheaded a 13-2 run for Baylor, and when she scored her 10th point of the quarter, Baylor took their first lead of the game at 34-32 with 3:38 left.
Prince answered with two free throws to tie it up again, and Felder hit a midrange jumper to put Baylor back in front. Taylor Bigby tied it up once more with a jumper, and Prince gave TCU a 38-36 lead with a basket. Heading into the final quarter, Prince had recorded a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Vonleh had 15 points.
In the fourth quarter, Bigby and Nnopu hit back-to-back threes, extending TCU’s lead to 44-36. Jada Walker answered with a jumper, bringing Baylor back within six at 44-38. Neither team scored for over two minutes, but Conner hit a three-pointer with 4:28 left, putting TCU ahead 47-38.
Baylor’s Sarah Andrews finally got on the board with a free throw at 4:08, making it 47-39. The game then went silent offensively until Van Lith hit two free throws with 1:49 left, giving TCU a 10-point lead at 49-39. It seemed like TCU was in control, but Baylor wasn’t done. Felder knocked down a midrange jumper, and Baylor coach Waiata Jennings called a timeout. Felder followed up with a three-pointer, narrowing the gap to 49-44 with 46 seconds remaining.
TCU head coach Mark Campbell called a timeout to regroup, but Hunter turned the ball over, and Felder drove in for a layup, cutting the lead to 49-46. After a steal by Hunter, TCU called another timeout to avoid a five-second violation on the inbound. Following the timeout, Conner was fouled and hit 1 of 2 free throws, extending TCU’s lead to 50-44.
Baylor still had a chance as Walker hit another jumper, making it 50-46. TCU struggled to inbound the ball and was called for a five-second violation, giving Baylor possession with no time running off the clock. Vonleh scored a quick basket, narrowing the lead to 50-48. Van Lith made one of two free throws to give TCU a 51-48 lead, and Baylor called another timeout. Hunter missed free throws on the other end, and Baylor missed a long shot at the buzzer.
With that, TCU secured the win, 51-48, and earned the Big 12 Regular Season Championship. This victory also marked TCU’s second consecutive win against Baylor after having lost 37 straight to them.
It was a hard-fought, defensive battle, with standout performances from TCU’s Prince (16 points, 19 rebounds) and Van Lith (14 points), while Baylor’s Vonleh (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Felder (17 points) led the way for their team.
Next up for TCU is the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Kansas.
