Fort Worth, Texas • The Big 12 did BYU no favors for its first assignment in a new conference.
On the road against undefeated TCU, the Cougars paid their dues as the newcomers of the league in an 81-67 loss. They went down by 20 in the third quarter and were overwhelmed by the No. 23 team in the country.
“Welcome to the Big 12,” head coach Amber Whiting quipped. “I mean, it was good for our girls to experience what is going to happen when they step out on the court every single night out. There are no easy games. There are no games off. Every single player we face is going to be good. I thought was a really good challenge for us.”
All three of TCU’s top scorers finished in double digits. Sedona Prince, an Oregon transfer, had 25. Madison Conner added 21. Agnus Emma-Nnopu ended with 14.
BYU also struggled with former Baylor guard Jaden Owens as she had 15 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.
The combination of Prince and Owens in ball screens gave BYU difficulties most of the game. Prince had 22 of her 25 inside the 3-point line.
“We were going to try to push her out, make her make tough shots,” Whiting said. “She did a good job passing out of it. I mean she is a good player. We just have to try to limit her as much as we possibly can and not let Connor get going. And they both got going.”
Lauren Gustin had an inefficient double-double in her Big 12 debut, with 10 points and 16 rebounds. She went 5 of 17 from the field. She didn’t get much help either — with only Kailey Woolston and Amari Whiting joining her in double digits.
TCU’s zone held the Cougars to 39% shooting. It was helped by BYU committing seven turnovers in the first half, leading to 12 TCU points.
“[Gustin] got her shots. I mean she took 17, right? She just has to step up and knock them down and be confident with that,” Whiting said. “... We had wide-open shots. We just have to knock them down. They play the percentages.”
BYU is 10-4 and 0-1 in the Big 12. It will play Oklahoma and Iowa State at home next week before leaving for Houston on Jan. 10.
As for Whiting’s first taste of Big 12 play, she knows it won’t get any easier.
“We come from the WCC,” she said when asked if she’s seen a schedule as difficult as this one. “Definitely not.”
