TCU
Utah
Rough Second Half Sinks TCU at Utah
2/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 4, 2009
SALT LAKE CITY—Sophomore guard Helena Sverrisdottir scored a career-high 27 points, but TCU was unable to make an 11-point second-half lead hold up Wednesday during a 73-63 setback to Utah at the Utes' Huntsman Center.
The loss dropped TCU to 13-8 on the season and 5-3 in the Mountain West Conference standings. Utah improved to 15-6 and 8-0 in the MWC with its 24th straight regular-season conference victory.
TCU held a nine-point edge at intermission and went up by 11 after exiting the locker room on a pair of early free throws by junior guard TK LaFleur, but the lead turned out to be short lived.
Utah came back by scoring 20 of the game's next 26 points. Junior forward Kaylee Whipple tied the game, then moved the Utes on top with consecutive 3-pointers, one traditional and one from outside the arc, while a jumper by senior guard Morgan Warburton at the 11:22 mark put the team up five, 46-41. Sverrisdottir ended the run with a runner in the lane on TCU's next trip down the floor.
The Utes built their lead up to as many as eight points in the final 10 minutes, but TCU was able hang around. The Frogs scratched their way to within three points or fewer six different times the rest of the way, but in each instance the Utes were able to hold the squad at bay. The Frogs' final opportunity came with the squad down three, 66-63, but they were unable to get the stop they needed with Whipple being fouled on another successful layup. The Utes scored the game's final seven points.
Sverrisdottir made 10-of-21 field-goal attempts while totaling her 27 points, including a 3-for-5 performance from 3-point range. She made all three of her first-half attempts while leading the Frogs to a 7-of-7 showing from behind the arc in the period. The second half was a different story, as TCU made only 1-of-10 attempts.
Also scoring in double figures for TCU was LaFleur (12 poitns) and sophomore guard Emily Carter (11 points). Sophomore forward Rachel Rentschler had three treys in the first half that accounted for her nine points.
Utah's big two of Whipple and Warburton once again proved difficult to defend, especially in the second half. TCU was able to hold the pair to only seven points in the first half before they combined for 31 of Utah's 47 points in the second half. Whipple finished with 21 points and 11 boards, with Warburton going for 17 points. Forward Katie King had 11 points and a game-high 12 boards, including eight on the offensive end.
The Frogs rode a sensational long-range shooting performance while building its nine-point halftime lead.
TCU opened up a nine-point advantage at 21-12 after recording a 10-0 run. The Frogs forced the Utes into committing eight turnovers, which resulted in six TCU points. Sverrisdottir and Carter accounted for 18 of the squad's early scoring.
Utah came right back with a 6-0 run of its own and held TCU scoreless for more than three minutes until Sverrisdottir ended the spurt with a long 3-pointer that put the Frogs up 24-18 with 7:19 remaining in the half.
After the Utes cut the lead to only one point with just over four minutes left on the clock, TCU responded with three consecutive 3-pointers, the first by Sverrisdottir followed by a pair from Rentschler. Rentschler's second trey made the Frogs a perfect 7-for-7 from long range. Two free throws by Sverrisdottir put the team up 12 in the final minute, but King was fouled on a layup and added a free throw to cut the lead to single digits at the half.
TCU begins the second half of the conference season Saturday in Fort Worth, where they play host to Colorado State for a 5 p.m. tip off.
Players Mentioned
