Olivia Miles was running dry at the most pivotal moment of the season. The 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. 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. Despite her standout performance, Miles pointed out two teammates who do not get their due. 

Against the Huskies, it started with defense. They scored 71.7 points per game coming into this game but were limited to just 59, despite the game going into overtime. They limited the Huskies to 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.”

Defense is always a team effort. If one person is undisciplined, the opponent can break through. But against Washington Taylor and Donovyn maintained their duties really well. 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. 

It also speaks to Miles’ leadership, explicitly pointing out two players publicly. The next game they will be even more motivated to perform and stand out.  However, she also admitted one of her mistakes during this highly charged game. 

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

Olivia Miles almost hit the game-winner for TCU. 14 seconds to go and the game was tied. Through the legs and she stepped back for a three-pointer. And it did not go in, bouncing off the rim with the time running 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.”

Anger can cloud judgment. This time it did not, but in the future it certainly can. And the body language of a leader affects the entire team. Something like this could cost the team, especially in a close game like this. Miles will need to rein that in when they face either Iowa or Virginia in Sacramento.