TCU
Wyoming
Lady Frogs Cool Off Wyoming, 60-47
2/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 21, 2009
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
FORT WORTH—TCU posted its fifth consecutive victory to tie a season high Saturday during a 60-47 win over Wyoming. Junior TK LaFleur and sophomore Helena Sverrisdottir each scored in double figures to lead the Lady Frogs.
The win moved TCU to 18-8 on the season and 10-3 in the Mountain West Conference standings, which ranks in sole possession of second place. Wyoming dropped to 13-12 overall and 5-7 in league play.
The Cowgirls, 5-2 over their last seven games, had been playing some of the best basketball in the conference over the last few weeks, having knocked off both San Diego State and New Mexico in the month of February. The Aztecs and Lobos currently rank No. 3 and 4 in the league standings.
Wyoming had a tough time keeping up with the Frogs Saturday, as an aggressive effort on the defensive end helped limit the Cowgirls to only 28.1 percent shooting (16-of-57), including only 5-of-26 from 3-point range. The overall shooting percentage was the third-lowest for a TCU opponent this season.
TCU had a tough time from the field itself, shooting only 32.7 percent, but often was able to make its way to the free-throw line, where it outscored Wyoming by 10 points (20-10). The squad managed to take care of the ball on the offensive end and gave up only eight turnovers, the fifth time this season the Frogs managed to keep the total to single digits. They also were able to make the Cowgirls pay for their mistakes with 16 points scored off just 12 Wyoming miscues.
LaFleur led the Frogs in scoring for the eighth time this season with 17 points while going 6-of-13 from the field and 3-for-6 behind the arc. Sverrisdottir had 15 points, thanks in part to a 9-of-10 showing at the charity stripe. Sophomore forward Micah Garoutte added nine points and four rebounds, while sophomore Emily Carter and freshman Antoinette Thompson led the team in rebounding with seven each from their guard positions. Thompson's total marked a career high.
Wyoming forward Hillary Carlson scored 18 points to lead all players, with 12 coming in the second half. Forward Emma Langford chipped in 11 points, and guard Megan McGuffey pulled down 13 rebounds to match a career high.
TCU never trailed in the contest after holding Wyoming scoreless for the game's opening five minutes. LaFleur gave the Frogs their first bucket on a 3-pointer that just beat the shot clock, and Garoutte added a pair of mid-range baseline jumpers for an early 7-0 advantage.
The Cowgirls missed their first nine shots and were scoreless until forward Rebecca Vanderjagt sank a pair of free throws at the 15:01 mark. Langford ended the squad's drought from the field with a trey on the next possession, more than five-and-a-half minutes into the contest.
Carter gave the Frogs their first double-digit lead of the night just over eight minutes into the game. After drilling a long 3-pointer, she made a steal in the Wyoming paint and drove the ball coast-to-coast for a layup while drawing a foul. She added the free throw for a 20-9 TCU advantage.
The Cowgirls closed the gap to five points with 7:18 to play in the half, but an 11-3 run highlighted by seven LaFleur points put the Frogs up by 13, their largest lead to that point. Senior center Micki Younger added a free throw with 0.2 seconds left to send the squad into the locker room up 14, 34-20.
The Frogs suffered through a prolonged scoring drought to open the second period. Wyoming outscored TCU 7-0 over the first four minutes to cut the lead deficit in half, but the Frogs were able to sustain their edge until putting together an 8-0 spurt ending at the 5:32 mark to take total control of the contest at 53-36. Sverrisdottir scored six of the points on a jumper, pair of free throws and a layup, while LaFleur added a layup of her own during the stretch.
TCU continues its two-game homestand Wednesday, when it plays host to New Mexico at 6:30 p.m. at the DMC.
Players Mentioned
