TCU
Air Force
TCU Escapes Air Force with Fourth Straight Win
2/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2009
USAFA, Colo.--TCU experienced a road scare at Air Force Wednesday, but three players scored at least 16 points to help the Lady Frogs escape with a 67-57 victory at the Falcons' Clune Arena. The victory was TCU's fourth consecutive win, and second straight on the road.
The Frogs improved to 17-8 on the season and 9-3 in Mountain West Conference play to remain in second place in the league standings.
TCU led by only a 32-30 margin at intermission, and Air Force tied the contest on the team's opening possession of the second half. The Frogs slowly moved out to a seven-point lead five minutes into the period after sophomore guard Emily Carter drilled a 3-pointer then added a pair of free throws on the following possession.
The Falcons refused to fold, climbing to within four points with just over eight minutes remaining on a trey by guard Raimee Beck, her sixth of the contest. Air Force was unable to move any closer, though, as TCU slowly built the lead back up to 10 points by the 6:16 mark on a basket in the paint by sophomore guard Helena Sverrisdottir. The bucket gave the Frogs what at that point was their first double-figure lead of the contest. The teams traded baskets from there on out.
Carter came up big for the Frogs in the second half, scoring 15 of her team-high 20 points. The Bossier City, La., native went 4-of-7 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 at the free-throw line while totaling seven rebounds, four assists and a career-high six steals. Carter broke her previous best of four steals with five in the first half alone. The performance was her second career 20-point effort.
Junior guard TK LaFleur finished with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Sverrisdottir had 16 points, eight boards and six assists.
TCU had difficulty all game containing Beck, who made seven 3-pointers while totaling a game-high 23 points to lead Air Force. She went 7-of-11 from behind the arc and added eight boards and five assists. Also reaching double figures for the Falcons was point guard Anna Gault with 10 points, and she also dished out a game-high 10 assists. Forward Kim Kreke pulled down a game-high 10 boards.
The Falcons kept up with the Frogs during the first half and had a three-point advantage, 20-17, with just over seven minutes remaining after Beck drilled her third trey of the period. TCU followed with a 14-2 run to jump on top by nine. LaFleur led the spurt with eight points on a pair of 3-pointers in addition to a jumper inside the arc.
Beck ended the run with her fourth 3-pointer of the half, and Air Force closed the period with five straight points, including a buzzer-beater from near halfcourt by Gault, to pull within two points at the break, 32-30. Gault's heave made the Falcons 6-of-9 from behind the arc in the opening 20 minutes.
TCU returns to Fort Worth for two straight home games beginning Saturday, when the Frogs play host to Wyoming at 5 p.m.
Players Mentioned
