The semifinals of the Big 12 women’s basketball tournament featured a No. 1 seed, a No. 2 seed, a No. 6 seed and a true Cinderella.
A victory was the gateway to the championship game on Sunday. Two games to decide the championship participants and both games had their own unique feel.
TCU had to deal with its best player in foul trouble. Kansas State tried to tap into the scoring runs that propelled it to the semifinals. Colorado was out to further solidify its NCAA Tournament case. West Virginia was trying to position itself for its first tournament title in nearly a decade.
Here were the results of the semifinal games:
Game 13: No. 1 TCU 74, No. 12 Kansas State 62
Game 14: No. 2 West Virginia 48, No. 6 Colorado 47
Here are the takeaways from the day.
The Marta Suarez Train
TCU found itself in a pickle in the first half against Kansas State on Saturday. Olivia Miles had three fouls in the first half and had to sit for more than seven minutes in the second quarter. Kansas State walked into the locker room with a slim 33-32 lead. Could have been worse had TCU not had Marta Suarez.
The All-Big 12 forward didn’t have a great first half, either. She finished with eight points and five rebounds in 18 minutes. The Horned Frogs proved turnover prone, diving up the ball 12 times in the first 20 minutes. She was part of the problem. She had six turnovers for the game. TCU needed someone to step up. Step up Suarez did.
She was a marvel in the third quarter. She dropped 14 points on the Wildcats on 6-of-8 shooting. That included a pair of 3-pointers. She helped the Horned Frogs shoot 63% from the field in those 10 minutes and nudge them ahead, 56-49, with a 24-point third quarter.
She finished the game with 22 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists. Miles ended up with 18 points, but without Suarez the Horned Frogs might have let this one slip away. It’s why Suarez is one of the most valuable transfers in the Big 12 and why TCU can make a deep run in March. If the perception is that this is Miles’ team, Suarez’s game should have ended that perception.
Mountaineers For the Steal
The Colorado-West Virginia game certainly had its strange moments. The Buffaloes and the Mountaineers combined for nine points in the second quarter. Yes, that’s right — nine points. Then, in the third quarter the Mountaineers shot out like a cannon and took a 10-point lead. That was followed by Colorado rallying to cut the lead to four points at the end of the third quarter.
Then we got to the good stuff.
Colorado’s Desiree Wooten dropped a 3-pointer to give Colorado a two-point lead. On the next possession, WVU missed a shot to tie, but Kierra Wheeler rebounded it, got it out to Gia Cooke and he drilled a 3-pointer to give the Mountaineers a one-point lead with 31 seconds left.
Things got wild after that. Colorado tried to tie and missed. WVU’s Jordan Harrison was fouled on a rebound and made both free throws to push the lead back to three points. The Buffs still had a shot and took. Wooten took a shot at another 3-pointer but was fouled by Wheeler on the arm and she got three free throws that would have tied the game.
Wooten only made two. CU had to foul again. This time Cooke got the free throws for the Mountaineers. She missed both, Colorado rebounded and got a time out with enough time for one shot.
Then, Harrison showed everyone why she’s the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, as selected by the coaches and by Heartland College Sports.
That was a beautiful steal, the way coaches teach players how to dislodge the ball from behind.
Harrison led WVU with 15 points, along with five rebounds and, of course, four steals. Cooke added 14 points and Wheeler had 12 points. Zyanna Walker had 16 points for Colorado and Wooten had 14.
What’s at Stake Sunday
TCU is shooting for its second straight Big 12 sweep of the regular season title and the tournament title, something it has never done in its time in the conference.
West Virginia is seeking its first Big 12 Tournament title since 2017. It is the Mountaineers’ only Big 12 Tournament title in program history. The program’s only other title is a shared regular season title with Baylor in 2014.
TCU played West Virginia twice and won both meetings — 51-50 in Morgantown and 59-50 in Fort Worth.
