ON THE MOVE — WVU guard Jordan Harrison drives to the basket Wednesday against TCU. - Benjamin Powell

MORGANTOWN — Marta Suarez beat the buzzer and broke some hearts at the same time Wednesday night.

In a game that was dedicated by defense, it was the TCU’s power forward who officially won it with one heck of a big-time basket, a 3-pointer as the cluck struck zeroes to give the 10th-ranked Horned Frogs a 51-50 victory inside Hope Coliseum.

“I know I’m a good shooter, but I’ve been struggling a little bit,” said Suarez, who finished with 11 points on 4 of 19 shooting. “My head right there was just to get your feet set and see what the defense gives you. I didn’t know it was going to go in. Sometimes you just pray for it.”

It was Suarez’s only 3-pointer of the night and came after TCU had called a timeout following WVU guard Jordan Harrison going 1 for 2 at the foul line to give the Mountaineers a 50-48 lead with 2.8 seconds remaining.

The timeout allowed the Horned Frogs (17-1, 5-1 Big 12) to advance the ball to the hash mark, some 35 feet away from the rim. Donovyn Hunter inbounded the ball to Suarez at the top of the 3-point line. She took a quick jab step and let it fly. The shot hit the back iron and fell straight in.

“I’m not sure really where to start,” WVU head coach Mark Kellogg said. “I hurt. I hurt for the team. I hurt for the players. I’m really proud of them and proud of their effort. They battled defensively.”

The entire game was a battle of wills through the defensive side. West Virginia was held to a season-low 28% (15 of 53) shooting – “Yeah, you’re probably not expected to win many games when you shoot 28%,” Kellogg said. – but WVU fired right back by holding TCU to just 36.5% shooting and star guard Olivia MIles was held in check.

“That was one heck of a defensive battle,” TCU head coach Mark Campbell. “We both go about our defenses completely different, but I thought each team was elite at what they did. Buckets were hard to get.”

That was especially true for West Virginia (14-4, 4-2) early, which managed only four baskets over the first 10 minutes. WVU players continued to drive into the paint against Suarez and 6-foot-7 center Clara Silva, usually only to get tied up or turn the ball over.

WVU’s leading scorer, Gia Cooke, didn’t score her first point until 6:05 remained in the second quarter. WVU center KIerra Wheeler, the one tasked with trying to keep up with Silva, was held scoreless until 1:36 remained in the second quarter.

Still, WVU’s defense kept the Mountaineers close until those drives to the basket started to pay off.

“We really don’t see size too much,” said Harrison, who finished with 19 points and six rebounds. “We’re going to attack regardless. Having that mindset, whether it’s 6-foot-7, we’re going to continue to get in there. Our mindsets were to get to the basket.”

That strategy finally began to pay dividends in the third quarter. Wheeler made two free throws to give WVU its first lead of the game, 31-29, with 5:12 remaining in the quarter. WVU also held the Horned Frogs scoreless for the first five minutes of the quarter to get back into the game.

Along the way, WVU also kept Miles in check. The former All-American at Notre Dame, who transferred to TCU this season, averaged 26 points over her previous three games, but was held to 14 points on 5 of 12 shooting.

That all led up to the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Harrison hit a 13-footer coming around a screen by teammate Carter McCray that gave WVU a 49-46 lead with 12 seconds remaining.

TCU called a timeout to advance the ball and Veronica Sheffey took the ball out of that timeout and drove to the basket for a lay-up attempt.

“That wasn’t what was supposed to happen,” Campbell said. “We were supposed to take a three.”

Sheffey got fouled and made both free throws to cut WVU’s lead to 49-48.

WVU then called a timeout to advance the ball and Harrison took in the inbounds pass and was fouled. With 2.8 seconds left, Harrison missed the first free throw and made the second for a 50-48 lead.

Kellogg was asked if there was a thought to have Harrison miss the second free-throw too, with the hope of having the ball bounce around and have time go off the clock.

“No, absolutely not,” he replied.

That all led up to Suarez becoming the hero with the last shot of the night.

“The way she stayed in that game and then having the confidence to take the last shot was kind of how our whole game went,” Campbell said. “She struggled from the floor. She had good looks, but couldn’t quite stick them. But, when the game was on the line, she buried it.”