TCU
Texas A&M
TCU Falls at Texas A&M
12/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 21, 2008
COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Junior guard TK LaFleur recorded her third 20-point performance of the season, but No. 24/25 TCU was unable to overcome an aggressive defensive effort from No. 4/3 Texas A&M during a 64-50 loss Sunday at the Aggies' Reed Arena.
TCU finished its pre-holiday schedule with an 8-4 record, while the Aggies ran their unbeaten mark to a perfect 10-0. The Lady Frogs' streak of three-straight victories over teams ranked No. 3 in at least one of the national polls was snapped during the loss.
Texas A&M held the Lady Frogs to their lowest offensive output in nearly a year Sunday dating back to last season's 60-50 home loss to Utah. In addition to turning the ball over a season-high 23 times, TCU shot a season-low 32.7 percent from the field. The Aggies did not fare much better (38.8 percent), but the squad did grab 17 offensive rebounds while committing only 14 miscues on its own end.
LaFleur led TCU in scoring for the third time this season with 22 points while shooting 8-of-18 from the floor. Included among her total was a 3-for-3 effort from 3-point range, while she also tied for the team lead for rebounds (seven) with sophomore guard Helena Sverrisdottir, who had seven points and a team-best five assists.
Sophomore forward Rachel Rentschler chipped in seven points and six boards.
A&M had two players reach double figures in senior guard Takia Starks and freshman forward Adaora Elonu, who went for 21 and 10 points, respectively. Senior center La Toya Micheaux pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds, and sophomore guard Sydney Colson had eight assists.
After a slow offensive start for both teams, Texas A&M took control of the game in the final 10 minutes of the first half. TCU managed only two field goals down the stretch in the period, while Starks handled the offense for the Aggies. The guard alone outscored the Frogs by a 14-12 count in the final 10 minutes, while helping her team build a 14-point advantage by intermission.
Compounding the Frogs' offensive woes was an Aggie pressure defense that forced 13 turnovers in the half that led to nine points. A&M also grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to only four for TCU.
TCU quickly chopped into the lead in the early part of the second period. LaFleur and Sverrisdottir combined for 10 points in the opening six minutes and Younger added a pair of free throws to move the Frogs to within six points, 41-35.
A&M countered with an 8-1 run over the next five minutes to push back out to a 13-point advantage, and TCU was unable to climb back within eight points of the Aggies the remainder of the game. The Frogs were able to find an answer in the second half for Starks, who had only three points in the period, but A&M was able to find other offensive options. Senior forward Danielle Gant scored all nine of her points after halftime, while Elonu recorded eight of her 10 in the period.
TCU takes the next week off for winter break before returning to the court Tuesday, Dec. 30, for a 7 p.m. matchup with cross-town rival SMU. The contest will be televised by The Mtn., which is available nation-wide to DirecTV satellite subscribers.
Players Mentioned
