TCU completes comeback, avoids Washington's NCAA Tournament upset bid

Story by

Story by
TCU completes comeback, avoids Washington's NCAA Tournament upset bid

Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Mon, Mar 23, 2026 ·

4 min read

About Our Ads

FORT WORTH, TX — TCU women's basketball's 62-59 overtime win over Washington in the second round of the NCAA Tournament wasn't pretty, but it was resilient and gritty.

The No. 1 seed Horned Frogs were held to 19 points at halftime against the No. 6 seed Huskies and trailed by as many as 10 points in the matchup at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU's second consecutive trip to the Sweet 16 was on the line, as was the team's NCAA-leading 43-game home win streak.

Frustrations started to boil over.

Senior guard Olivia Miles slammed her hand against the stanchion several times after Washington challenged an out-of-bounds call before TCU could inbound the ball with 2:31 remaining in the third quarter. The call was reversed to give the Huskies possession under their basket with a 35-30 lead and Miles quickly picked up a foul while going for a steal at the 2:23 mark. She argued with the referee during Washington's free throw attempts.

"I was crashing out multiple times. I was angry. I was feeling all the emotions because I didn't want to go home," Miles said. "I don't want to let my team down. And (my teammates), especially Taylor (Bigby), she was in my ears, 'Just keep creating, keep scoring and keep being aggressive.' And I listened to them. I trust. It'd be a disservice for me not to be resilient for them."

Olivia Miles celebrates following the overtime victory over Washington.

MORE: Olivia Miles' decision to skip WNBA draft pays off after new CBA deal

Miles led the charge in the second half and TCU outscored Washington 32-24 in the second half to force overtime. Miles had a look at a game-winning 3-pointer in the final possession of the game, a shot Miles practiced hundreds of times and "thought was going in," she said.

"I was distraught afterwards," Miles added. "My teammates had to calm me down a little bit."

The Horned Frogs quickly composed themselves and recovered to go on a 7-0 run to start overtime. The team credited the rowdy crowd that showed up at Schollmaier Arena on a Sunday evening for a 9 p.m. CT tip off.

"I don't think we win this game today without the crowd," Miles added. "We needed the crowd behind us ... that was a game changer for us. Marta (Suarez) kept telling us, 'A few buckets will get the crowd in it, a few buckets will get the crowd in it.' And she was right. I think when we went on that little run... it was the loudest that I've ever heard it in the (Schollmaier Arena)."

"Just a testament to what (head coach Mark Campbell) built here and his ability to rally the community," Miles added. "Getting older fans out at 9:00 PM on a Sunday... it's just a love in this community. So vibrant, just so electric."

Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.

(Jamie Squire, Getty Images)

Kansas Jayhawks cheerleaders perform before a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the St. John's Red Storm at Viejas Arena on March 22, 2026 in San Diego, Calif.
(Denis Poroy, Imagn Images)

Nebraska's Berke Buyuktuncel celebrates with fans following a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on March 21, 2026.

(SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN via USA TODAY NETWORK)

Arkansas Razorbacks cheerleaders in the second half against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore.

(Troy Wayrynen, Imagn Images)

VCU Rams fans react after a 3-pointer by Terrence Hill Jr. #6 of the VCU Rams in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)

Howard Bison cheerleaders perform during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Michigan Wolverines at Keybank Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY.
(Mark Konezny, Imagn Images)

BYU Cougars cheerleader in the second half against the Texas Longhorns during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

Former North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams is seen in the crowd against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Mar 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

Texas A&M Aggies cheerleaders during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, Imagn Images)

Texas Longhorns band in the first half against the BYU Cougars during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Portland.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

St. John's Red Storm mascot Johnny Thunder mixes with players prior to taking the court during practice day ahead of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 19, 2026 in San Diego, California.
(Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images)

A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

The High Point Panthers fans cheer during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Troy Wayrynen, Imagn Images)

The High Point Panthers cheerleaders react during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Troy Wayrynen, Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images)

The North Dakota State Bison mascot and cheerleaders pose for a photo before the game against the Michigan State Spartans during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY
(Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images)

Nebraska Cornhuskers fans cheer after defeating the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(Alonzo Adams, Imagn Images)

The Wisconsin Badgers mascot performs during a time out during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

A view of Buddy the Street Dog as Queens University of Charlotte Royals guard Yoav Berman talks to the media during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center in St. Louis on March 19, 2026.
(Jeff Le, Imagn Images)

The High Point Panthers band performs prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

High Point Panthers fans cheer prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

The Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders preform during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

The South Florida Bulls mascot performs during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY.
(Mark Konezny, Imagn Images)

The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleaders perform in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Jim Dedmon, Imagn Images)

The Troy Trojans mascot dances on the floor during the second half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, William Purnell-Imagn Images)

The UCF Knights band performs during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 19, 2026 in Philadelphia.
(Bill Streicher, Imagn Images)

Nebraska Cornhuskers cheerleaders perform during the second half against the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, Imagn Images)

A Wisconsin Badgers cheerleader performs during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

The Ohio State Buckeyes cheerleaders perform in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

Akron Zips fans in the first half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Matt Pendleton, Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Texas Tech Red Raiders cheerleaders in the first half against the Akron Zips during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

Santa Clara Broncos fans react to game play against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 20, 2026 in St. Louis, MO.
(Jeff Le, Jeff Le-Imagn Images)

Akron Zips cheerleaders and mascot in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Matt Pendleton, Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Wright State Raiders fans celebrate after a Wright State Raiders guard TJ Burch (22) scores during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, PA.
(Bill Streicher, Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)

Hofstra Pride cheerleaders in the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Matt Pendleton, Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Garth Noble of the Louisville pep band is amped at the 2026 NCAA Women's March Madness basketball tournament at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Kentucky. March 21, 2026.
(Matt Stone/Courier Journal)

Michigan head coach Dusty May high-fives players after 95-72 win over Saint Louis at the NCAA Tournament Second Round at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
(Junfu Han, USA TODAY NETWORK)

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish band and spirit squad cheer during the first round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament against the Fairfield Stags at Ohio State's Schottenstein Center in Columbus on March 21, 2026.
(Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch)

Despite opening the game shooting 2-of-11 from the field, Miles went on to score 14 of her 18 points in TCU's second-half comeback. Miles finished two assists away from her second consecutive triple-double with 10 rebounds and eight assists.

TCU head coach Mark Campbell called it "the quietest almost triple-double."

"Could not be more proud of this group," head coach Mark Campbell said. "That was just a gritty, resilient game. We were down the whole time. And just stayed into fight. We grinded that thing out, got it to overtime. And then we finally got finally broke loose and hit some shots and got a seven point lead. And we were able to get that across the finish line."

Clara Silva finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Taylor Bigby added 15 points in the win.

The Horned Frogs advance to play the winner of No. 2 Iowa or No. 10 Virginia in the Sweet 16 in Sacramento, California, on Saturday, March 28.

Reach USA TODAY National Women's Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson .

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more .

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: TCU completes comeback, escapes with March Madness win over Washington

Mobilize your Website

View Site in Mobile | Classic

Share by:

TCU completes comeback, avoids Washington's NCAA Tournament upset bid

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities