TCU
New Mexico
Lady Frogs Prevail in Defensive Battle vs. Lobos
2/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 25, 2009
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
FORT WORTH—Despite lagging through one of its worst offensive performances of the season, TCU was able to ride a stout defensive effort to a 41-38 win over New Mexico Wednesday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The victory marked the Frogs' six straight, their longest winning streak of the season.
The win moved TCU to within one win of its eighth 20-victory season in the last nine years at 19-8 overall. The squad also remained in sole possession of second place in the Mountain West Conference with a 11-3 league mark. New Mexico dropped to 18-8 overall and 7-6 in the MWC.
TCU led by only one point, 39-38, with less than 30 seconds remaining. After Lady Frog head coach Jeff Mittie called a timeout with the shot clock winding down, the squad forced the ball inside to sophomore Helena Sverrisdottir on the low block. The 6-1 point guard was fouled with 20 seconds left and sank both of the ensuing free-throw attempts to give her squad a three-point cushion.
Freshman guard Antoinettte Thompson followed with one of TCU's biggest defensive plays of the season, as she drew a charge foul on Lobo forward Eileen Weismsmann to send possession back to the Frogs.
New Mexico guard Amy Beggin provided a big play of her own by stealing the ball while trapping Sverrisdottir off the ensuing in-bounds play. The steal sent possession back to the Lobos, but only with four seconds remaining. Beggin had one final chance for a tying 3-pointer, but the Lobos saw her last-gasp attempt at the buzzer glance off the rim.
The Frogs found little success on the offensive end Wednesday, as shot after shot missed the mark. The team finished the game only 13-of-54 from the field (24.1 percent) and 4-of-16 from 3-point range (25.0 percent). TCU still was able to make it to the charity stripe, where it sank 11-of-17 shots. The final total of 41 points marked the Frogs' lowest total ever in a win, breaking the previous low of 49 points set against Southwestern on Jan. 16, 1982 (49-47).
The Lobos fared little better, making only 14-of-50 field-goal attempts and 5-of-23 shots from beyond the arc. Compounding UNM's woes was an aggressive TCU defense that forced 19 turnovers that led to an important total of 16 points.
Only two TCU players reached double figures on the evening, with sophomores Emily Carter and Micah Garoutte tying for the team lead at 10 points each. Garoutte was one of the few Frogs to shine on the offensive end, as she went 3-of-4 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 at the charity stripe. She scored in double figures for the first time since a 14-point effort on Jan. 21 at Wyoming.
While TCU's three season scoring leaders of Sverrisdottir, junior TK LaFleur and Carter struggled mightily on the evening to the tune of a combined 8-of-50 from the field, each managed to contribute to the win in other ways.
LaFleur led TCU with nine rebounds, including four on the offensive end, while Carter made five steals. Sverrisdottir, in addition to being clutch late at the free-throw line, totaled nine points, seven boards and three assists.
Beggin scored a game-high 13 points for the Lobos, but went only 3-of-13 from the floor, including 3-for-11 beyond the arc. Center Angela Hartill had 10 points and eight boards, while forward Amanda Best led New Mexico's efforts on the glass with a game-high 10 rebounds.
TCU led by seven points at intermission, 22-15, and went up by nine after Garoutte sank a pair of free throw less than 15 seconds into the second half. New Mexico cut the lead to only one point with an 11-4 run that ended with just over eight minutes remaining. The Lobos could never overtake the Frogs, but the lead grew no larger than five points for the remainder of the contest.
Both teams struggled to find offense in the early going, but TCU was able to move out to an eight-point lead with 8:17 remaining in the first half. The squad built its advantage on the strength of two 3-point plays by Carter that followed a long trey by junior guard Shayla Moore. Each team managed only six field goals in the first half.
Down to only two more games before the start of postseason play, TCU looks to run its winning streak to seven Saturday when it visits San Diego State for a 4 p.m. CT matchup. The winner of the contest will have the inside track to the No. 2 overall seed in next month's Mountain West Conference Tournament.
Players Mentioned
