TCU to conclude WNIT at home against Delaware
11/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format
Preseason WNIT Web Site
The Opponent: Delaware
Preseason WNIT (Consolation Round)
Delaware (1-1) vs. TCU (1-1)
Fort Worth, Texas -- Daniel-Meyer (7,201)
Friday, Nov. 16 -- 6:30 p.m. CST
Radio: 88.7 KTCU-FM, gofrogs.com
Internet: Live Radio, Video and Statistics via TCU All-Access
FORT WORTH--TCU will complete its three-game Preseason WNIT run Friday at 6:30 p.m., when it plays host to Delaware at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The matchup will be the first for both squads in the tournament's consolation round. The Lady Frogs fell into the bracket with a 73-54 loss at No. 4 LSU last Sunday, while the Blue Hens dropped a 91-43 decision at No. 3 Maryland Tuesday evening.
Single-game tickets for the matchup may be purchased for $8 (adults) and $5 (students) from the TCU Athletics Ticket Office by calling (817) 257-FROG or on the Internet at GoFrogs.com. Lady Frog season-ticket holders should use the ticket marked WNIT Game A for admission into Friday's game. Each of the first 100 TCU students to attend will be admitted for free courtesy of the TCU athletics department.
Friday's game can be heard live on the radio in the Metroplex on 88.7 KTCU-FM with Jeff Williams (play-by-play) and Marcy Girton (analyst) calling the action. All games this season will be broadcast live on KTCU. Live audio coverage, in addition to the free video streaming and live stats always offered during home games, will also be available on GoFrogs.com.
Scouting Delaware
Delaware, members of the Colonial Athletic Association, reached the NCAA Tournament last season for only the second time in school history, and the first time since 2001. Head Coach Tina Martin's squad fell to No. 5 seed Michigan State, 69-58, in the first round of the Greensboro Regional. Delaware tied for third place in the CAA and finished runner-up in the conference's postseason tournament.
The Blue Hens return a pair of starters from last season's edition in senior guard Kyle DeHaven and senior forward Cortney Irving. DeHaven was named to the CAA's All-Defensive Team a year ago while averaging 8.5 points, 3.3 assists and 3.1 steals per game. Irving shot an impressive 57.6 percent from the field while recording per game averages of 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds.
The Hens enter Friday's matchup with a 1-1 record after dropping a 91-43 loss at No. 3 Maryland. They opened the season with a 54-47 victory over Delaware State. DeHaven, who scored 24 points in the opener, is out after suffering a broken hand in the opener.
About the Preseason WNIT
The Preseason WNIT is an invitation-only tournament involving 16 teams in a three-game guarantee format. It will be played over a 10-day period from Nov. 9 through 18, with each game being hosted at the site of a participating school. Only one team per conference is allowed to play in the Preseason WNIT, and that team may only participate once every four years. Teams are selected for the tournament based on expected success for that season, relevant past, conference standings, fan base and geographical location, among other criteria.
Other teams among this year's field include: Delaware (Colonial Athletic Association), Delaware State (MEAC), East Tennessee State (Atlantic Sun), Evansville (Missouri Valley), IUPUI (Summit League), LSU (SEC), Marshall (Conference USA), Maryland (ACC), Miami (MAC), Michigan State (Big Ten), Notre Dame (Big East), Princeton (Ivy League), Samford (Ohio Valley) and Western Kentucky (Sun Belt).
Frogs in the Preseason WNIT
TCU is making its second appearance all-time in the Preseason WNIT, which was founded in 1994 with a single-elimination format. The Frogs currently own a 2-2 record all-time in the tournament.
Jeff Mittie opened his tenure as the Lady Frogs' head coach during the program's first showing in 1999-2000. That squad, which went on to tie the then-school record for wins as members of Division I, opened with a 62-51 victory over St. Mary's (Calif.) before dropping an 86-61 decision in the second round to UC-Santa Barbara, which finished as the event's runner-up.
Last Time Out: Tigers Hand TCU First Loss
TCU registered another solid early-season defensive effort, but No. 5/5 LSU pulled away in the second half to hand the Lady Frogs a 73-54 road loss in the second round of the Preseason WNIT Sunday in Baton Rouge, La.
The Purple and White held the Lady Tigers to only 37 percent shooting from the field in the first half to keep the game within reach by intermission, but LSU's defense was equally as tough. The Frogs scored only 26 points in the second half and went without a field goal in the final 5:02 as the Tigers pulled away.
Adrianne Ross scored a team-14 points while showing no ill effects of the leg cramps that slowed her during the season-opening win over Radford. She was TCU's lone double-figure scorer, although Helena Sverrisdottir chipped in nine points and shared the team lead with six boards.
Lorie Butler-Rayford tied Sverrisdottir with six rebounds and added eight points, while Micaela Younger's eight points tied her career high set last season against Pepperdine.
All-American Sylvia Fowles, who sat much of the first half while in foul trouble, led three Lady Tigers in double figures with 16 points. LSU went to the 6-foot-6 Fowles early and often in the second half, as she scored 11 points in the stanza on her way to a 6-for-6 shooting night from the field. Quianna Chaney and Allison Hightower scored 14 and 12 points, respectively. Hightower drilled 4-of-5 3-point attempts for LSU.
Noting TCU-LSU
Team Notes
• The Lady Frogs dropped to 2-2 all-time in the Preseason WNIT.
• TCU lost its road opener for the fourth consecutive season. The Frogs had been matched up against Miami (2004), Oklahoma (2005) and Maryland (2006) the three previous years.
• TCU controlled the early part of the game, grabbing 10 of the game's first 12 rebounds while outscoring the Lady Tigers 13-4 during the first four minutes.
Individual Notes
• Micaela Younger recorded one of her top career games since arriving at TCU, tying career highs for points (eight), field goals (three) and steals (two).
• All 12 players saw game action, including Lauren Roberts, who made her TCU debut.
True Freshmen Starters in the Mittie Era
Jeff Mittie has recorded a track record of a willingness to begin a season with true freshmen in the starting lineup in his nine seasons at TCU.
Helena Sverrisdottir became the fourth true freshman to start a season opener in the Mittie era during the WNIT first-round victory over Radford on Nov. 9. She logged a successful debut with 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Sophomore teammate Shayla Moore was the last to open her career in the starting lineup, last season at Maryland. Natasha Lacy (2003) and Sandora Irvin (2001) are the other Lady Frogs to earn the distinction with Mittie as head coach.
Sverrisdottir has started each of TCU's first two games this season.
Record Watch: Adrianne Ross
Adrianne Ross, an honorable-mention All-America selection as a junior, returns for her senior season with several of TCU's career records within reach.
Steals (No. 2)--Ross owns 253 career thefts and trails the top position currently held by former Lady Frog Rachel Hesse (1989-93) by only 31.
Points (No. 5)--Ross has scored 1,250 career points and sits 642 points behind current Director of Ops Sandora Irvin for the top spot.
Games Played (NR)--Ross has appeared in 102 career games, only 28 shy of record-holder Ebony Shaw (2000-04). TCU played 32 games a year ago.
Field Goals Made (No. 4)--Ross owns 456 career made field goals and trails No. 1 Irvin (686) by 230. She made 204 FGs last season.
Field Goals Attempted (No. 4)--Ross has attempted 1,127 career shots, only 376 behind Irvin (1,503). She attempted 465 field goals in 2006-07.
Others in the TCU History Books
In addition to Ross, Lorie Butler-Rayford and Moneka Knight also find their names among the program's top 10 performers in a major statistical category.
Butler-Rayford (Rebounds)--No. 7 all-time among Frogs with 564 career boards.
Knight (Assists)--No. 9 all-time with 245 career assists.
Home Cooking
TCU set a school record in 2007-08 with 15 home wins. The previous record was 14 wins during the 2003-04 season. TCU also set a school record with a 93.7 percent winning percentage at home by winning 15 of 16 home games, including a school-record 14 straight games to open the season.
Counting the 2005-06 season, TCU put together a 19-game home win streak, which was the sixth longest in the nation, prior to dropping a 61-50 decision to Wyoming on Feb. 22. The Lady Frogs own a 94-21 (.817) home record since Jeff Mittie's arrival on campus prior to the 1999-200 season.
TCU won this season's home opener against Radford, marking the 12th straight year with a victory in its first game at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The squad has not dropped an opening game at DMC since a 103-81 loss to Oklahoma on Nov. 25, 1995.
Going Streaking
TCU currently owns a 24-game winning streak when it holds a halftime lead. The Frogs won all 16 games a year ago when they held the lead at intermission and have not lost since a 67-64 setback to No. 20 BYU on Jan. 25, 2006.
Players Mentioned
