TCU
SMU
TCU falls to SMU, 66-61
11/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 20, 2007
DALLAS--Adrianne Ross scored 17 points and Lorie Butler-Rayford pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds Tuesday evening, but TCU let an 11-point second-half lead slip away during a 66-61 setback to SMU at Moody Coliseum. The loss, which was the squad's first to SMU since 2001, dropped the Lady Frogs' record to 2-2 this season.Ross scored nine of her points in the first half to help give the Frogs a 31-24 halftime lead, and the squad eventually pushed its advantage to 40-29 with just over 15 minutes, but SMU countered with a 12-0 run over the next two and one-half minutes to take its first lead since the game's opening minutes. The lead went back-and-forth before the Mustangs went on top for good at the five-minute mark. Free throw shooting proved to be the difference in the game, as SMU out-scored the Frogs by a 29-18 margin at the charity stripe.
Janielle Dodds gave the Mustangs a lift in the second stanza by collecting 15 points and nine rebounds after halftime during SMU's comeback run. The 6-3 Dodds, who entered the game perfect from the free throw line for the season, connected on 10-of-13 attempts from the line. Overall, the squad went 29-of-37 from the line, with TCU hitting only 11-of-19 attempts.
Dodds finished the evening with a game-high 20 points and 12 boards, while Delisha Wills and Sharee Shepherd pitched in 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Butler-Rayford had a solid game for the Frogs before fouling out with just over two minutes remaining, as she shot 4-for-4 from the field for eight points to go with her huge rebound total. Micaela Younger, who also fouled out in the second half, scored six first-half points, while Moneka Knight added a season-high nine points. Helen Roden chipped in eight points and a career-high nine boards.
TCU was able to build its early lead by holding SMU to only 26.7 percent shooting from the field in the first half while itself connecting at a 41.9 percent rate.
Ross opened the scoring with TCU's first five points. She nailed a jumper from the left baseline on the Frogs' first possession before posting her first 3-pointer of the season just under three minutes into the game. Younger also helped fuel the Purple and White's early lead with three layups in the first 10 minutes. Ross and Younger combined for each of Frogs' first 13 points.
TCU led by as much as 10 midway through the opening frame after a trey from Shayla Moore and bucket by Helena Sverrisdottir put the Frogs up 18-8 halfway through the period.
Down 31-24 at the half, Shepherd brought SMU to within four with a trey on the Mustang's opening possession of the second half, but TCU would push out to its 11-point lead with a 7-0 run. Ross scored a layup and another trey before Butler-Rayford recorded a jumper in the paint following an offensive board just before the 15-minute mark.
SMU responded with its 12-0 run, as Dodds and Shepherd combined for 11 of the Mustang points during the stretch. While SMU went without a field goal during the game's last 3:50, it did manage to produce 11 points at the line during the stretch.
TCU returns to Fort Worth for a post-Thanksgiving matchup Friday with No. 12/15 Cal at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
