SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Members of the TCU Horned Frogs huddle on the court during the second quarter quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round game of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Golden 1 Center on March 28, 2026 in Sacrame …
SACRAMENTO, CA - No. 3 seed TCU defeated No. 10 seed Virginia 79-69 on Saturday night behind a dominant second half, advancing the Horned Frogs to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Suarez and Miles lead second-half surge
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Olivia Miles #5 of the TCU Horned Frogs reacts with Veronica Sheffey #2 of the TCU Horned Frogs against the Virginia Cavaliers during the third quarter in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tourna …
What we know:
TCU erased a one-point halftime deficit and took control with a decisive third quarter. The Horned Frogs outscored Virginia 24-11 in the period to seize momentum and never relinquished the lead.
Senior forward Marta Suarez led the way with 33 points and 10 rebounds, controlling the paint throughout, while senior guard Olivia Miles added 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in an all-around performance.
Virginia stayed competitive early and led 36-35 at halftime behind balanced scoring. Senior guard Paris Clark scored 20 points and junior guard Kymora Johnson added 18 for the Cavaliers, who shot well from beyond the arc but struggled to match TCU’s physicality inside.
TCU outmuscles Virginia in the paint
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Olivia Miles #5 of the TCU Horned Frogs drives to the basket against Paris Clark #1 of the Virginia Cavaliers during the third quarter in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 …
Local perspective:
The Horned Frogs’ size advantage proved decisive. TCU outrebounded Virginia 38-27 and outscored the Cavaliers 46-28 in the paint, repeatedly generating second-chance opportunities and high-percentage looks.
TCU shot 52% from the field and steadily built a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Clara Silva #17 of the TCU Horned Frogs helps up Donovyn Hunter #4 of the TCU Horned Frogs against the Virginia Cavaliers during the fourth quarter in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament …
Virginia, which led for much of the first half, was unable to recover after the third-quarter surge.
TCU to face No. 1 seed South Carolina
What's next:
The victory sends TCU to the Elite Eight, where the Horned Frogs will face No. 1 seed South Carolina as they continue the deepest NCAA Tournament run in program history.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by live coverage of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.