TCU
Air Force
Lady Frogs Run Past Falcons, 79-43
1/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 17, 2009
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
Postgame Press Conference Video
FORT WORTH--TCU returned to its winning ways Saturday with a 79-43 home victory over Air Force at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The win marked the Lady Frogs' 12th straight over the Falcons.
The victory, which ended a two-game TCU home losing streak, moved the Frogs to 11-6 on the season and 3-1 in Mountain West Conference play.
TCU showed major offensive improvement from its last outing in earning its most lopsided victory of the season. The Frogs shot 48.4 percent overall from the field Saturday after struggling during a 62-46 loss to BYU Wednesday in which the squad connected on only 22.4 percent.
Ball handling also saw an improvement, as the team's nine turnovers marked the ninth time this season TCU totaled 10 or fewer. The Frogs posted a 24-8 advantage in points off turnovers, while their 24 assists marked the most for a TCU squad in nearly five seasons dating back to a 25-assist day against East Carolina on Feb. 13, 2004.
Junior guard TK LaFleur led TCU in scoring for the fifth time this season with her 18 points, and she added nine rebounds to fall just short of her third career double-double. LaFleur scored 12 of her total while helping give her team a 10-point advantage at the half. She made 8-of-13 field-goal attempts overall Saturday.
Sophomore guard Emily Carter continued her hot play of late with 16 points, as she reached double figures for the fifth straight game. Carter entered the day ranked second among all MWC players in scoring average during league games only.
Also reaching double figures was sophomore Helena Sverrisdottir, who scored 15 points to go with six boards and a team-high six assists.
Two players scored in double figures to lead Air Force. Guard Raimee Beck totaled 16 points, although she went only 6-of-20 from the field, while center Kim Kreke added 10 points and nine boards. Guard Brooke Cultra pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds.
Leading by 10 points at the half, TCU put the game out of reach early in the second with a 16-0 run out of the locker room. LaFleur had her hand in three layups in the stretch, two on her own and another in which she dished downcourt in transition to Carter. Carter also added one of two treys, with the other coming from junior guard Shayla Moore.
Air Force's first points of the half came on a bucket down low by Kreke nearly six minutes into the period. The Frog momentum continued, though, as Carter came right back with another 3-point play, this one of the traditional type with a free throw following a layup in which she drew a foul. Carter scored 10 of her 16 points in the first 6:15 of the final period.
TCU's lead reached 30 points on a transition layup by Moore with 6:32 remaining.
TCU opened the contest with a very quick start, building a 14-5 lead in the game's opening 4:36. Sverrisdottir, LaFleur and sophomore forward Micah Garoutte combined for 11 of the early points. After a 7-0 Falcon run cut the lead to only two points, LaFleur responded with each of the next eight TCU points on two treys and a layup to push the score to 24-16 with 7:51 to play in the half.
The Frogs took their first double-digit lead following a Sverrisdottir layup at the 5:17 mark before entering halftime up 10 points, 34-24.
TCU returns to the road next week for a pair of league games. The Frogs first travel to Laramie, Wyo., to meet Wyoming on Wednesday, Jan. 21, followed by a Sunday matchup with New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M.
Players Mentioned
