SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marta Suarez amassed 33 points and 10 rebounds, forming a virtually indomitable pair with Olivia Miles, as the No. 3 seed TCU triumphed over 10th-seeded Virginia 79-69 this past Saturday in the Sweet Sixteen round of the women’s NCAA tournament.
TCU (32-5), securing its second consecutive berth in the Elite Eight, is set to contend with No. 1 seed South Carolina on Monday, vying for a coveted spot in the Final Four.
Miles, a senior and a three-time All-American, concluded the game with her own impressive individual statistical performance, tallying 28 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.
In a matter of weeks, Suarez and Miles are expected to be selected in the WNBA draft, but presently, the culmination of their collegiate careers and the risk they undertook by joining TCU has certainly yielded dividends.
The Horned Frogs initiated a decisive 17-4 scoring surge at the commencement of the second half, which secured them a lasting advantage, even though the Cavaliers employed an intense full-court press and narrowed the deficit to six points with merely 27.1 seconds remaining.
Paris Clark contributed 20 points and Kymora Johnson registered 18 points, eight assists, and six rebounds for Virginia (22-12), which stood as the solitary team seeded in double-digits to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
The Cavaliers’ postseason campaign commenced in the First Four and continued with an away victory over No. 2 seed Iowa in the second round. Virginia appeared to possess an enduring charm when they seized a 36-35 advantage going into the intermission, fueled by 10 points apiece from Clark and Johnson.
Suarez posted 18 points during the first half for the Frogs, and Miles accounted for 12, but the rest of the squad managed merely five.
Ultimately, TCU’s sheer physicality – Virginia was dominated on the boards 38-27 – and the potent combination of Suarez and Miles proved overwhelming for their opponents.
Subsequently, TCU’s encounter against South Carolina marks their second meeting within the past two seasons. South Carolina previously defeated TCU 85-52 in December 2024.