Taylor Bigby is making the most of her final NCAA Tournament run, and the TCU Horned Frogs are one win away from the Final Four because of it.

The redshirt senior guard from Las Vegas, who starred at Centennial High, has elevated her game when it matters most. Bigby scored a career-high 27 points on seven 3-pointers in a first-round win over UC San Diego, breaking Hailey Van Lith’s program record for single-game NCAA Tournament scoring. She followed that with 15 points in a second-round overtime comeback victory against Washington.

“Seeing Taylor in the gym every day working on those very shots, to see it come out when it actually matters — every moment matters, but now it’s the real deal — you can’t help but be happy for that person,” said star guard Olivia Miles. “It’s contagious when she’s hitting 3s and then she gets to attack a closeout and hit someone else, and they hit a 3. So it just spills over.”

No. 3 seed TCU (32-5) faces top-seeded South Carolina in the Elite Eight on Monday. Bigby, who averages 8.2 points and leads the team shooting 39.1 percent from 3-point range, has been a key defensive spark as well. After the Horned Frogs managed just 19 points in the first half against Washington, Bigby took charge.

“I think before Coach even came in, I was telling ’em, ‘They’re not going to give it to us, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy coming in here,'” Bigby said. “This is what March is about.”

Bigby transferred to TCU from USC and has at times come off the bench, re-entering the starting lineup last month. Coach Mark Campbell praised her perseverance.

“Tay’s one of the ultimate teammates, everybody loves her,” Campbell said. “It’s been two years now she’s in the gym working on her craft. So it’s just neat when young people get rewarded for their hard work.”

The daughter of former UNLV guard Lamar Bigby, Taylor said her defensive intensity stems from competitiveness. “I think it’s heart and having a competitive spirit,” she said. “They got me a couple times in the first half, and I think I just took it really personal going into the second half. I knew that’s what my team needed.”

Bigby’s postseason surge has been a blessing, she added. “It’s really special, it’s a blessing. … But my teammates, my coaches, I wouldn’t be here without them and the confidence that they instill in me.”