Prince Shines with 30 Points, Propelling No. 11 TCU to Victory Over Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. – TCU weathered Kansas’ finest challenge in Allen Fieldhouse and secured a remarkable road victory.
 
Sedona Prince, Hailey Van Lith, and Taylor Bigby collectively achieved 60 points as the 11^th-ranked Horned Frogs clung to an 80-73 triumph over Kansas on Wednesday.
 
Prince showcased her skills in the sport’s most legendary venue, tallying 30 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. The 6-7 center recorded 20 points in the first half on 9-12 shooting, propelling TCU to a 38-32 advantage at halftime.
 
She and Van Lith executed the pick-and-roll throughout the afternoon, with Van Lith contributing a game-high six assists – five in the first half – along with 19 points. 
 
Bigby and Van Lith finished a pivotal 8-2 run with successive and-one plays that granted TCU its widest margin, 68-56, with 4:16 left in the game. 
 
The backcourt pair accumulated 17 of TCU’s 22 points in the closing frame. Van Lith converted 5-5 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
 
TCU’s record improved to 16-1 overall and 4-0 in Big 12 competition. The Horned Frogs remain one of only two undefeated teams in the 16-member league as they prepare for a Saturday evening match against Texas Tech in Lubbock.
 
The Frogs’ offense thrived as temperatures lingered in the low teens across the Great Plains. TCU shot at a 59 percent rate (16-29) in the first half and finished the game shooting 52 percent, assisting on 19 of their 28 baskets.
 
Kansas (11-4, 1-3 Big 12) kept pace, hitting 25 of their 50 attempts, but never took the lead in the final three quarters. The Horned Frogs trailed 19-18 after the first quarter. Jump shots from Prince and Agnes Emma-Nnopu on TCU’s initial possession of the second quarter put the Frogs ahead for good. TCU led for 34:49 of the contest.
 
Prince amassed 12 points over the initial six minutes of the game. The Jayhawks scored on four of their last possessions in the period.
 
Back-to-back three-pointers by Van Lith halfway through the second provided TCU with its first significant lead, elevating the Frogs to 29-21.
 
Prince halted a streak of nine Jayhawk points late in the quarter with six of her own. Donovyn Hunter drilled a three-pointer on TCU’s second-to-last possession to grant TCU a two-possession lead at the buzzer.
 
TCU assisted on 12 of their 16 field goals in the first half.
 
Prince answered every time Kansas posed a challenge in the third quarter. A midrange jumper ended a 6-0 Jayhawks run and maintained TCU’s lead at 45-40. The Jayhawks again closed within a possession, 47-44, just before the media timeout, but Prince retaliated with an and-one. Two free throws on TCU’s following possession pushed the score to 54-46 with 3:43 remaining in the quarter.
 
Bigby nailed a three-pointer from the corner with 2:25 left that extended TCU’s advantage to 73-64. Her eight points in the final quarter were her highest in a single quarter this season.
 
S’Mya Nichols topped Kansas with 25 points. TCU successfully contained the Big 12 leading scorer for 30 minutes, restricting the 6-0 guard to 16 points before the fourth quarter.
 
TCU outscored Kansas 20-13 in the second quarter, while the teams otherwise played evenly. 
 
The Horned Frogs dominated the boards against the Jayhawks, 31-24.
 
Up Next
TCU takes on the Lady Raiders at 6 p.m. on Saturday from United Supermarkets Arena. This will be the first of two meetings between these squads this season, with Texas Tech set to travel east on Feb. 8.
 
Team Notes 

• TCU achieved its second four-game winning streak in Big 12 history under Mark Campbell and fifth overall.
• The Horned Frogs have now secured victories in four of their last five Big 12 road games.
• TCU obtained its eighth conference win in its last nine matches.
• TCU improved its all-time record against the Jayhawks to 17-12.
• The Horned Frogs claimed their fourth victory in Allen Fieldhouse, their first since Feb. 8, 2020.
• TCU has now scored at least 20 points in the third quarter in 15 of 17 games played this year.
• The Horned Frogs have reached at least 80 points in a match for the 10^th time.
• TCU is averaging 79 points per game in conference competitions.
• TCU has shot over 50 percent in nine games this season, including five of their last seven contests.
• The win marked the fourth occasion TCU has won consecutive road games in Big 12 play.
• TCU had three players combine for 60 points for the second time this year. Van Lith, Prince, and Conner generated 60 in TCU’s conference-opening 92-52 victory against UCF on Dec. 21.
• TCU was the first team to reach 80 points against Kansas this season.

Individual Notes

• Prince scored 20 points in a half for the first occasion in her career.
• Prince’s performance marked the third instance she has reached 30 points during her time at TCU. She now ranks third in program history in career 30-point games.
• Prince’s 10 points in the opening quarter were her most in a single quarter this season.
• Prince concluded just three points shy of equaling her career-best.
• Prince logged the 23^rd double-double of her career, the 20^th in a TCU jersey, and seventh this season.
• Prince has now registered three or more blocks in 10 games this season.
• Prince is currently averaging 18.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks for the season.
• Van Lith recorded five or more assists for the 13^th time this year.
• Van Lith’s total assists increased to 103 for the season. She is now only 82 assists away from becoming TCU’s single-season record holder.
• Van Lith is also just 22 assists short of 500 career assists.
• Van Lith has scored 15 or more points in 11 of her 17 starts as a Frog.
• Prince, Van Lith, and Madison Conner are averaging a combined 58.5 points per game across TCU’s two Big 12 road encounters.
• The trio has contributed to 67 percent of TCU’s scoring (211-315 points) in league contests.
• Conner recorded nine points and drained a couple of three-pointers in the third quarter.
• Bigby’s 12 points were her second-highest in a game this season.