Lady Frogs Wrap Up Non-Conference Schedule vs. SMU
12/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2008
The Opponent: SMU Mustangs
GAME #13
TCU (8-4) vs. SMU (6-6)
Fort Worth, Texas | Daniel-Meyer Coliseum (7,201) | Tuesday, Dec. 30 • 7 p.m.
Radio: KTCU (88.7 FM), gofrogs.com | Talent: Jeff Williams (play-by-play); Jeff Lewis (analyst)
TV: The Mtn. (DirecTV Ch. 616) | Talent: Erin Bajackson (play-by-play); Blaine Fowler (analyst)
Series Record vs. SMU: 13-37 | Last Meeting: Nov. 20, 2007 in Dallas (L, 61-66)
FORT WORTH--TCU puts the finishing touches on its 2008-09 non-conference schedule Tuesday when its plays host to Metroplex rival SMU at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Tip-off for the televised matchup, which will be available nation-wide to DirecTV subscribers on The Mountain West Sports Network (The Mtn., channel 616), is set for 7 p.m.
The Lady Frogs recently concluded a stretch of seven consecutive games away from Fort Worth and will be playing their first home game in over a month since a Nov. 25 victory over Houston at the DMC. Following the contest against the Mustangs, the Frogs head back to the road to open the Mountain West Conference schedule with games at Colorado State and UNLV Jan. 7 and 10.
TCU enters Tuesday's matchup with an 8-4 record and can finish its non-league schedule with nine wins, which would tie for the fifth-highest total in program history in out-of-conference competition, excluding postseason play. The contest will be the Frogs' seventh in 13 games against a team that advanced to last season's NCAA Tournament.
The series with former Southwest Conference and WAC rival SMU marks TCU's longest continuous series against any opponent, as the two teams have met each of the last 25 seasons dating back to the 1982-83 campaign. The Mustangs own a 37-13 edge in the series, although the Frogs have taken six of the last eight meetings, including five straight between the 2002-03 and 2006-07 seasons. SMU won last year's contest in Dallas, 66-61.
Sunday marks TCU's third of nine scheduled television appearances this season. The Mtn. broadcast will feature the play-by-play tandem of Erin Bajackson (play-by-play) and Blaine Fowler (analyst). The game also can be heard live on the radio throughout the Metroplex on 88.7 KTCU-FM with Jeff Williams (play-by-play) and Jeff Lewis (analyst) calling the action. A link to the live stream of the same radio broadcast can be found on GoFrogs.com, while a link to a live stats feed will also be offered on TCU's official web site.
FROG QUICK NOTES
-TCU is 4-1 this season against teams from the state of Texas.
-Excluding Jeff Mittie's 6-4 record vs. SMU, the Frogs are just 7-33 all-time against the Mustangs.
-TCU is the only program in the nation with two wins against teams ranked among the national polls' top 5.
-TCU has held six straight opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field.
-TCU is 2-2 this season against ranked teams and 3-3 against 2007-08 NCAA Tournament qualifiers.
-TCU ranks among the top-10 teams nationally in 3-point FG percentage (No. 6) and FT percentage (No. 7).
-TCU leads the Mountain West Conference in scoring (74.8 ppg), 3-point FG percentage (40.3%), 3-point FG percentage defense (25.7%) and fewest turnovers per game (14.2 tpg).
-TCU's current turnover average is on pace to break the school-record low of 16.0 tpg set in 2006-07.
-TCU has appeared in the Associated Press Top 25 poll five of eight weeks this season and three of seven weeks in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, with high positions of Nos. 19 and 22, respectively.
-Despite having taken 71 fewer field-goal attempts from the field this season than its opponents, TCU has made 14 more shots (a 43.6 to 37.9 advantage in percentage).
-TCU's current stretch of nine of 10 games away from Fort Worth has only been undertaken once before in program history (1990-91).
-Helena Sverrisdottir and TK LaFleur have combined to score in double figures in 21 of 24 chances this season.
-Newcomers have accounted for 50.9 percent of TCU's offense this season (457 of 898 points).
-The returning TCU roster features only 31.8 percent of the scoring totals, 31.1 percent of rebounding and 24.5 of assists recorded by last season's team.
SCOUTING THE SMU MUSTANGS
SMU is off to a 6-6 start one season after making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1999-2000 last season. Head Coach Rhonda Rompola, in her 18th year at the Mustang helm, entered the season having to replace a group of six seniors that racked up 4,365 points and 2,339 rebounds during its tenure on campus. That group helped the program win the 2007-08 Conference USA Tournament championship, only the second tourney title in program history.
The Mustangs opened the 2008-09 season with a 2-5 record before winning four of their last five games, including a 92-75 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in their latest outing on Dec. 28. The team has relied heavily on its ability to capitalize on its opponents' mistakes and is averaging nearly 20 forced turnovers per contest.
SMU has fielded a fairly young lineup this season featuring only two seniors in forward Delisa Wills and guard Brittani Allen. Junior forward Brittany Gilliam leads the team in scoring (14.3 ppg), rebounds (6.9 rpg), assists (3.7 apg) and steals (2.3 spg), while Wills has added averages of 12.3 ppg and 5.5 rpg. Freshman post Christine Elliott is scoring 9.3 ppg and pulling down 6.0 rpg in her first season in the frontcourt, and junior guard Jillian Samuels is the team's outside threat, having made a team-best 26 treys on the season.
Players Mentioned
