TCU
New Mexico
Lady Frogs tame Lobos in The Pit
1/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2008
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--TCU survived a late New Mexico rally Tuesday evening to earn its first road win of the season while downing the Lobos, 57-54, at The Pit. The victory marked TCU's first-ever win in five chances on UNM's home court.The victory pushed the Lady Frogs' season record to 9-8, including 2-1 in the Mountain West Conference. New Mexico dropped to 9-7 and 1-2 in the MWC.
TCU led by as many as 19 points and held a nine-point advantage with just over a minute to go, but UNM finished the contest with a flurry. Lobo point guard Amy Beggin followed a pair of free throws with a 3-pointer to cut the lead to only four with 36 seconds remaining.
Forward Dionne Marsh further cut the deficit to only two points with two more foul shots, but Frog guard Adrianne Ross pushed the advantage back to three by making 1-of-2 chances at the line after being fouled with 8.1 seconds left. Beggin's last-gasp 3-point attempt at the buzzer bounced off the rim, as TCU managed to escape with its first-ever win at The Pit.
The Frogs were able to survive a crippling drought late in the second half that saw the squad go scoreless for more than seven minutes until a Knight free throw at the 1:06 mark. TCU did not record a field goal in the game's final 8:26 while finishing with only two free throws during the stretch.
Ross made her final game appearance in her home state memorable with 18 points and a game-high eight assists, which tied a career high. She added six rebounds. Teammate Emily Carter also stepped up big for TCU off the bench with 11 points, including a 3-for-4 effort from behind the 3-point arc. Helen Roden and Lorie Butler-Rayford chipped in nine and eight points, respectively.
Beggin scored a game-high 19 points to pace the Lobos and hit four 3-pointers. Marsh scored 12 points and collected six boards to help New Mexico out-rebound the Frogs by a 39-30 margin.
TCU held a 16-point advantage at the half, but the Lobos quickly chopped points away by scoring 16 of 24 points to open the second frame. Eileen Wiessmann and Beggin combined for three shots from behind the arc to cut the Frog lead to six points, 42-36, with 13 minutes to play.
Ross responded with a huge play that helped TCU push its lead back to 15, as she hit a floater in the lane with only one second remaining on the shot clock. The play keyed a 13-4 run over a four-minute stretch that also included five points from Carter on a three and a second long jumper, which marked the Frogs' final field goal.
TCU recorded one of its sharpest first-half efforts of the season while running out to its big halftime lead. The squad shot 53.6 percent from the field in the period and registered an amazing 13 assists on its 15 first-half field goals, with Ross alone accounting for seven helpers. TCU also forced 13 Lobo turnovers and posted a 13-2 advantage in points off turnovers.
Leading 15-11 at the 6:32 mark, TCU put together a 14-3 run to take a 15-point lead and early control of the game. Carter drilled a pair of shots from behind the arc to key the run, while Roden and Butler-Rayford each added buckets. Following a Beggin trey that ended the stretch, the Frogs finished off the half with a jumper by Helena Sverrisdottir, fastbreak layup by Ross and a three from Roden that pushed the lead to 19 points, 36-17.
Beggin, who scored the Lobos' final nine points of the first half, sank three free throws to end the period after being fouled by Butler-Rayford with 0.2 seconds remaining.
TCU returns to Fort Worth Saturday for the opening half of a two-game homestand, as the Frogs play host to Colorado State at 2 p.m.
