TCU Falls to No. 1 South Carolina as Season Ends in Elite Eight

TCU women’s basketball’s bid for the program’s first Final Four appearance fell short on Monday night as it fell 78-52 to South Carolina.

The No. 3 seed Horned Frogs (32-5) recorded another historic season with a second straight Elite Eight appearance and at least 32 wins for the second consecutive season, while the No. 1 seed Gamecocks (34-3) advanced to their sixth straight Final Four.

The fourth quarter proved the turning point for South Carolina as it opened the quarter on a 14-0 run and eventually outscored TCU 29-11. The Gamecocks led by nine points heading into the final frame.

Key Scorers, Notes and Stats

TCU graduate guard Olivia Miles led TCU with 18 points, three rebounds, and six assists in her final collegiate game. Miles played the final quarter with an apparent calf injury suffered in the final moments of the third quarter. Senior guard Taylor Bigby tacked on 10 points.

Graduate forward Marta Suarez finished her final college game with nine points. Suarez rolled her ankle late in the second quarter and, while she pushed through it, lacked some of her usual physicality and fire in the second half.

South Carolina had four players reach double-digit scoring, led by forward Joyce Edwards with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Agot Makeer added 18 points, guard Tessa Johnson scored 11 points - all in the fourth quarter - and guard Raven Johnson chipped in 10 points.

Mar 30, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson (25) pushes the ball up the court during the first quarter of the game against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs in an Elite Eight game in the Sacramento Regional 4 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The Gamecocks showed that depth matters as teams go deeper into the tournament, as nine players played 10 minutes or more. TCU had seven players crack 10 minutes. That differential helped South Carolina win the bench points battle, 24-4. The Gamecocks also showed off their physicality by dominating on the glass with 28 more rebounds (52-24) and 15 more second-chance points (21-6).

Ta’nia Latson, a projected top 15 WNBA pick and SC’s second-leading scorer this season, had just three points on 1-of-5 shooting.

Defense gave TCU a chance to erase an eight-point halftime lead as South Carolina shot 20% (4-of-20) from the field during the third quarter. The Horned Frogs converted just one more field goal than the Gamecocks and failed to gain any ground.

South Carolina showed their defensive prowess throughout the game, holding TCU to 33% shooting overall (21-of-63).

Fourth Quarter Explosion

South Carolina turned up the pressure in the final frame. Makeer and Edwards combined for the first 12 points of the quarter, and the Horned Frogs started 0-of-7 from the field. Bigby snapped the four-minute scoring drought on a 3-pointer that made it a 44-63 game. South Carolina’s scoring onslaught continued as the lead reached 26 points twice before the final buzzer.

The Gamecocks were nearly perfect during the fourth quarter, hitting 72% (13-of-18) of their shots, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, while the Horned Frogs finished

5-of-18 from the field (27.8%).

Every great run leaves a mark; and this one did.

This team gave us EVERYTHING.

Heart. Grit. Belief.
A run we’ll never forget.

We love this team.
And we’re going to miss them. 💜🐸@tcuwbb pic.twitter.com/MuTzQzXdjS
— KillerFrogs.com (TCU On SI) (@Killer_Frogs) March 31, 2026

The Other Key Quarter

South Carolina pulled away during the fourth quarter, but seemingly took control in the second quarter. The Horned Frogs led by as many as eight points in the first quarter, but trailed 16-14 entering the second quarter.

A pair of 3-pointers from Miles and guard Donovyn Hunter helped TCU reclaim a 22-18 lead, but South Carolina responded with a 9-0 scoring run spearheaded by seven points from Edwards. Silva and Bigby cut into the lead with a pair of layups before Johnson nailed a pair of 3-pointers to bolster South Carolina’s advantage. Edwards capped off the half with a 15-foot jumper for a 35-27 halftime lead.

Second Half Struggles

Mar 30, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; Texas Christian University Horned Frogs guard Olivia Miles (5) takes a shot during the third quarter of the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks in an Elite Eight game in the Sacramento Regional 4 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

For the second time during the NCAA Tournament, TCU faced an eight-point halftime deficit. The first time ended with an overtime win against Washington to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. This one ended quite differently.

TCU struggled to find an offensive flow in the second half due in large part to South Carolina’s defense and physical approach. South Carolina pushed its halftime lead to 10 points out of the gate, but TCU fought back with a layup from Hunter and a 3-pointer by Miles. The lead stayed between five and 10 points, but the Horned Frogs could never quite make a push to close the gap. The Gamecocks held a 49-41 lead entering the final quarter.

A Good Start

TCU got off to a hot start, taking a 6-0 lead about three minutes into the game. The lead ballooned to 12-4 midway through the quarter as Miles and Suarez nailed 3-pointers.

The Horned Frogs also converted three South Carolina turnovers into four points and shot 66% (4-of-6) from the field.

Miles did pick up two fouls less than four minutes into the game, but that did little to tame her offensive approach as she continued driving to the basket.

South Carolina quickly closed the gap by ending the quarter on a 12-2 scoring run. Edwards and Makeer combined for 10 of those points. A jumper from Edwards with six seconds left gave South Carolina the two-point lead after one quarter. The Gamecocks held the Horned Frogs to 20% shooting (2-of-10) for the final six minutes of the quarter.