TCU
Wyoming
Lady Frogs downed by Wyoming, 61-50
2/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 22, 2007
FORT WORTH, Texas - With hopes of moving into a first-place tie with a win, the TCU women's basketball team came out cold and shot just 29.4 percent from the floor as Wyoming defeated TCU 61-50 on Thursday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
The loss snapped TCU's (19-8, 9-4 Mountain West Conference) school-record 19-game home winning streak, while the win for Wyoming (17-8, 8-5 MWC) gave the Cowgirls the regular season sweep over the Lady Frogs, who lost 66-51 at Wyoming on Jan. 20.
"I think tonight's game was different (than the game at Wyoming)," head coach Jeff Mittie said. "We had 10 steals. We had trouble putting the ball into the basket. I felt like we were rushed. I thought we got some decent looks. We took a few shots that were ill-advised, especially when it was 47-43."
Despite taking 26 more shots and winning the turnover battle, 21-12, the Lady Frogs were unable to find a rhythm offensively as they scored a season-low 50 points on 20-of-68 shooting (29.4 percent). TCU's previous season low was 51 at Wyoming.
Although the loss dropped TCU from being tied for first place in the MWC to being tied for third with New Mexico, the Lady Frogs still face two of the three teams ahead of them in the standings with three games to go.
The Lady Frogs shot their second-lowest percentage of the season, but still held the lead with 16:20 to play (35-34). However, it would be the last time the Lady Frogs would lead, as Wyoming went on a 12-2 run to take a 46-37 lead.
Wyoming's nine-point lead didn't last long though, as the Lady Frogs scored six of the next seven points to pull within four, 47-43, with 8:10 to play.
Unfortunately, just as soon as it looked like TCU was piecing together a comeback, the Cowgirls went on a 14-7 run to close the game.
Contributing to TCU's cold shooting was the shooting touch of Lady Frogs' top scoring duo of Adrianne Ross and Ashley Davis, who entered the game averaging 32.5 points between them, but were held to just 14 points on 6-of-26 shooting.
Individually, Hanna Biernacka scored a team-high 14 points and matched a career high with nine rebounds. Also reaching double figures was Lorie Butler-Rayford, who notched 11 points and seven rebounds. JimAnne Hejny tied a season high with eight points.
Wyoming was led by Aubrey Vandiver, who totaled 19 points and 14 rebounds. Jodi Bolerjack also added 19 points for the Cowgirls.
After trailing at home at the half for just the third time this season and first since Dec. 10 against UTA (40-39), the Lady Frogs used Ross' three-point play that closed the half to ignite an 11-4 run to open the half. The run gave TCU a 35-34 lead, as the Lady Frogs connected on their first four shots in the half.
The Lady Frogs opened the game by scoring the first six points, but Wyoming quickly halted TCU's run and stayed within six points through the first 14:05 before a pair of free throws by Wyoming's Aubrey Vandiver triggered a 12-0 run that gave the Cowgirls their first lead of the game, 28-22. During the run Vandiver scored six of Wyoming's first nine points.
After misfiring on nine straight shots, a layup by Hejny ended Wyoming's run with 1:26 to play in the half. After another pair of free throws by Vandiver with 1:08 to play, TCU closed the half with a three-point play by Ross with two-tenths of a second to play. Ross' three-point play pulled TCU within three, 30-27.
TCU shot just 28.9 percent on 11-of-38 shooting in the first half, while Wyoming hit 9-of-20 shots (45.0 percent). Hanna Biernacka paced TCU with six points, while Jodi Bolerjack led the Cowgirls with 10 points.
TCU will return to the court on Sunday when the Lady Frogs travel to New Mexico to face the Lobos at 4 p.m. CT in a national televised tilt on CSTV.
