TCU
Fresno State
Ross leads TCU past Fresno
11/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 28, 2007
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
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FORT WORTH--Senior Adrianne Ross scored a season-high 23 points to lead three TCU players in double-figures, as the Lady Frogs coasted to a 75-63 victory over Fresno State Wednesday evening at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The win helped the Frogs end a two-game slide and even their season record at 3-3.Ross put together her best performance of the young season by hitting 10-of-20 shots for the fourth-best point total in her career. In addition to the offense, she also added a team season-best four steals and was one of four Frogs with four assists. Ross posted 19 of her 23 points in the first half.
Senior Lorie Butler-Rayford and sophomore Danielle Nunn added respective totals of 14 points and four assists and 13 points and three helpers. Nunn's point total was only one shy of the career-high she set last season as a freshman against Houston.
Freshman Helena Sverrisdottir set a career high with her team-leading 10 rebounds, while also pitching eight points and four assists.
The Frogs were able to win both the turnover and rebounding battles against the Bulldogs. The squad forced 29 turnovers, the third time this year it has registered that many, while out-boarding FSU by a 50-35 margin. The 50 rebounds marked a season-best total.
LaToya Brown paced Fresno State with 14 points, while Tierre Wilson chipped in 13 points and a team-high six boards.
TCU put together a solid defensive first half to force the Bulldogs into 16 turnovers, which it converted into 23 points. The Frogs took 18 more shots the Fresno and also earned an eight-rebound advantage in the frame while building a 14-point halftime lead.
TCU raced out to an early 10-5 advantage with a pair of three-point plays and two layups in the game's opening minutes. Senior Moneka Knight started the scoring with an easy layup before senior Jenna Lohse added an old-fashioned 3-point play on a layup and ensuing foul shot. Ross poured in the next five points with her first trey and a transition layup off an up-court pass from Knight.
The Bulldogs stayed in the game from the outset with some sharp outside shooting featuring four 3-pointers in the first six minutes. Tierre Wilson, Marnique Arnold, Jaleesa Ross and LaToya Brown each connected from outside to keep FSU within four points through the 14-minute mark.
The Frogs led by as many as 15 points in the first half after a Ross bucket pushed the score to 37-22 with 1:29 remaining in the period. Ross scored seven of nine TCU points during one four-minute stretch. After five straight Bulldog points cut the TCU lead back to 10 in the closing minute, Nunn recorded fastbreak layups on consecutive possessions right before the half to push the advantage back to 14 at the intermission.
TCU continued to push the envelope with the transition game in the second half, as it received back-to-back layups off the fastbreak from Sverrisdottir and Knight midway through the period. The buckets helped the Frogs put together a 10-0 run over three minutes to increase its lead to 22 with 11:31 remaining.
The Frogs lead by as many as 25 points in the second half before Fresno closed the game on a 24-11 run to cut the deficit to only 12 by the final buzzer.
TCU concludes a three-game homestand Sunday when it plays host to No. 13/12 Texas A&M at the DMC. Tip-off for the game, which is slated to be televised by The Mtn., will be held at 2 p.m. The men's contest against Oklahoma will follow at 7 p.m.
