Olivia Miles was running dry at the most pivotal moment of the season. The No.3 Horned Frogs were held to 19 points at halftime against the No. 6 seed Washington Huskies and trailed by as many as 10 points in the matchup. The shots were just not going in, as Miles went 2/11 from the field. Miles did not lose hope, leading the charge in the second half by scoring 14 second-half points. Miles finished with 18 points and was two assists away from her second consecutive triple-double with 10 rebounds as TCU won 62-59 in overtime to advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. Despite her standout performance, Miles shouted out two unsung teammates.

A string defense laid the foundation against the Huskies. Huskies averaged 71.7 points per game coming into this game, but were limited to just 59, despite the game going into overtime. The Huskies shot just 35% from the field, 9.8% below their average. Olivia Miles credited this defensive clinic to two players: Taylor Bigby and Donovyn Hunter. 

“Let me just say Taylor and Donovyn are, I can’t even put it into words, so imperative to our defense. The way that they chase around these girls for 45 minutes, I kid you not,” Miles said in the post-game press conference. “Then to have the ability for Donovan to come down and hit a crazy left-handed layup to put us up five or Tay to hit big shots after just chasing her man around for 40 seconds, 30 seconds on the other end is crazy.”

The stars not only helped in defense but also showed their two-way threat. Bigby was on her game in the offense as well, scoring 15 points along with 4 rebounds. Donovyn Hunter chipped in with 2 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds. 

Bigby and Donovyn were often given the task of guarding Sayvia Sellers, Washington’s top scorer at 18 points a game. While she had her 18 points, Sellers went 7-22 from the field, which is 17% below her average. “They do it without complaining. They do it without asking questions. They do it so blindly for our team, and it’s so incredible to watch because it allows us to get in a flow, and we trust them so much to get stops,” Miles further said. 

While Miles showed her maturity by crediting her teammates, she also owned up to moments where her own emotions nearly got the best of her during the intense contest.

Olivia Miles Admits ‘Crashing Out’ After Close Second-Round Win

Olivia Miles almost hit the game-winner for TCU with 14 seconds to go, and when the game was tied. She went through her legs with the dribble and stepped back for a three-pointer. But it did not go in, bouncing off the rim as the time ran out. Miles was furious and distraught as she geared up for overtime. Even during the game, she slammed her hand against the stanchion several times after Washington challenged an out-of-bounds call before TCU could inbound the ball in the third quarter.

The call was eventually reversed, and TCU lost possession with a 35-30 trail, and Miles quickly picked up a foul while trying to get it back at the 2:23 mark. She even argued with the referee during Washington’s free-throw attempts. After the win, she apologized to her teammates for these mistakes after the game.

“I owe it all to my teammates, to be honest. I was crashing out multiple times, I was angry, I was feeling all the emotions because I didn’t want to go home. I don’t want them to let my team down,” Miles said. “It’d be a disservice for me not to be resilient for them and for myself.”

While Miles’ fire is part of what makes her a great competitor, maintaining composure will be critical as the stakes get higher against elite teams like Iowa or Virginia in the Sweet 16.