TCU Opens Season at Home vs. No. 3 Maryland
11/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 12, 2008
The Opponent: Maryland Terrapins
GAME #1 | TCU (0-0) vs. No. 3/5 MARYLAND (0-0)
Fort Worth, Texas | Daniel-Meyer Coliseum (7,201) | Friday, Nov. 14 | 5:30 p.m.
TV: The Mtn. (DirecTV Ch. 616) | Talent: Tracy Warren (play-by-play); Andrea Lloyd (color)
Radio: KTCU (88.7 FM), gofrogs.com | Talent: Jeff Williams (play-by-play); Jeff Lewis (color)
Internet (gofrogs.com): Free Live Radio and Stats
Series Record vs. UM: 0-1 | Last Meeting: Nov. 17, 2006 in College Park (L, 64-82)
TCU Head Coach: Jeff Mittie (Missouri Western, `89) | Record: 196-95 in 9 years at TCU (347-154 overall)
UM Head Coach: Brenda Frese (Arizona, `93) | Record: 145-55 in 6 years at CU (202-85 overall)
FORT WORTH--TCU opens its 32nd season of women's basketball this Friday, when it plays host to No. 3/5 Maryland at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in front of a national television audience on The Mountain West Sports Network (The Mtn.). Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
The game marks the kickoff of Head Coach Jeff Mittie's 10th season with the Lady Frogs. TCU will debut an unfamiliar lineup against the Terrapins, as only five letterwinners return from last season's team that finished second in the Mountain West Conference and reached the quarterfinal round of the Women's NIT.
TCU enters the game with only one exhibition contest under its belt so far this fall, last Saturday's 56-55 win over Oklahoma City University at the DMC. Historically very successful in season openers, the Frogs are 8-1 in Mittie's previous nine seasons on campus. The lone setback was the squad's only previous meeting with Maryland, a 62-84 loss in the 2006-07 season opener in College Park, Md., that featured a preseason No. 1-ranked Terrapin squad.
Friday's game is the first of nine TCU regular-season contests this season scheduled for television broadcast. Tracy Warren (play-by-play) and Andrea Lloyd (analyst) will call the action on The Mtn., which is available on a national basis for the first time this season on DirecTV channel 616, in addition to select local cable markets.
In addition to the television broadcast, the Frogs can be heard live on the radio throughout the season in the Metroplex on 88.7 KTCU-FM with Jeff Williams and Jeff Lewis serving as the play-by-play team. Williams is beginning his second decade as the voice of the Lady Frogs, while Lewis begins his first season as the color commentator in 2008-09. Live stats and a link to an Internet radio feed will be available via GoFrogs.com.
FROG QUICK NOTES
-The contest vs. Maryland marks the third time TCU will have played host to a top-3 ranked opponent in Head Coach Jeff Mittie's 10 seasons (vs. No. 1 Tennessee on Nov. 27, 2000; vs. No. 2 Duke on Dec. 6, 2005).
-TCU is 8-1 in season openers during Mittie's tenure.
-TCU owns 12 victories vs. ranked teams in 37 games under Mittie.
-The Frogs are 2-5 all-time against current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, with wins against Florida State (Dec. 20, 2003) and North Carolina (Feb. 22, 2005).
-Only two players remain from TCU's prevoius matchup with Maryland on Nov. 17, 2006--Shayla Moore and Micki Younger. The game marked one of Moore's two career starts.
-TCU returns only five players from last season's team that finished second in the Mountain West Conference.
-The returning lineup features only 31.8 percent of the scoring totals, 31.1 percent of rebounding and 24.5 of assists recorded by last season's team.
-TCU is 30-4 in the last two seasons playing at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
SCOUTING THE MARYLAND TERRAPINS
Maryland enters this season pegged as one of the early favorites to compete for the 2008-09 national championship, as it returns three starters from last season's team that reached the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. Currently ranked third by the Associated Press and fifth in the ESPN/USA Today poll, the Terrapins were picked second in a preseason ACC poll of league coaches and media and boasts a pair of returning All-America selections.
Head Coach Brenda Frese's squad brings a streak of five consecutive NCAA Tournament berths into this season, including the 2005-06 campaign that saw the program claim its first-ever national title. The team has posted at least 28 victories each of the past three seasons, including a 33-win campaign in 2007-08 that marked the second-most victories in school history.
The Terps are led by returning All-America senior guard Kristi Toliver, who won the Nancy Lieberman Award last season as the nation's top point guard. Toliver averaged 17.1 points and 7.4 assists per game a year ago in her third season as a starter. The assists total ranked her fifth nationally. Also back is senior guard/forward Marissa Coleman, an honorable-mention All-American a year ago who posted single-game averages of 16.1 points and 7.4 boards per contest. Sophomore guard Marah Strickland (8.5 ppg and 3.3 rpg; 40.7 3FG%), rounds out the Maryland returning starting lineup.
While UM returns a bevy of talent, it faces the task of replacing two starters that earned All-America honors last season in forwards Crystal Langhorne (17.3 ppg, 9.4 rpg) and Laura Harper (14.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg). Langhorne, the program's all-time leader in scoring and rebounds, was named ACC Player of the Year as a senior.
RELOADED TCU ROSTER READY FOR 2008-09
A year ago TCU was able to field a versatile team that thrived because of its deep talent at the guard position. That squad relied heavily on a group of five seniors who were lost to graduation during the past offseason in Adrianne Ross, Lorie Butler-Rayford, Moneka Knight, Helen Roden and Jenna Lohse. Despite the losses, TCU appears primed to continue the program's tradition of excellence by mixing in an infusion of new talent with the proven veteran presence left over from last season's team.
-Micaela Younger, Sr., C, 6-3--The lone senior on this year's team, Younger brings 72 career games played and 21 starts to the frontcourt. A year ago, she averaged 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
-Chantelle John, Jr., F, 6-2--A transfer from George Washington who sat out last season, John averaged 2.5 points and 1.6 points per contest in 53 career games (nine starts) during two seasons with GWU.
-TK LaFleur, Jr., G, 5-8--A transfer from Nebraska, LaFleur sat out last season, her first at TCU. She averaged 5.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in 64 career contests during two seasons playing for the Huskers.
-Eboni Mangum, Jr., G, 5-8--A transfer from Louisiana Tech, Mangum sat out during her first season with TCU. She averaged 8.1 points and 2.4 boards per game in 58 career games (31 starts) at La Tech.
-Shayla Moore, Jr., G, 5-6--Has played in 40 career games (two starts), averaging 2.5 points per contest with TCU.
-Emily Carter, So., G, 6-1--The Frogs' top returning 3-point (36.8 percent) and free-throw (84.8 percent) shooter from last season, she averaged 5.4 points per game in a reserve role a year ago.
-Micah Garoutte, So., F, 6-2--One of two true freshmen to start for TCU at one point last season, Garoutte made 17 starts a year ago and averaged 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
-Rachel Rentschler, So., F, 6-2--A transfer from Texas, Rentschler played in 34 games a season ago as a true freshman, averaging 2.9 points and 1.9 boards per game. She does not have to sit out this season after earning a waiver from the NCAA in the offseason.
-Helena Sverrisdottir, So., G/F, 6-1--TCU's top returning player in terms of points (9.3 ppg), rebounds (5.7 rpg) and assists (2.5 apg), Sverrisdottir was named MWC Freshman of the Year last season, when she started 33 of 35 contests.
-Tolu Omotola, Fr., F, 6-2--One of three freshmen additions, Omotola was rated as the 44th-best senior power forward prospect last season by Collegiate Girl's Basketball Report. She played prep ball at Dulles High School in Houston, Texas, and is a member of the Nigerian Under-19 National Team.
-Amanda Sims, Fr., G, 5-10--One of three freshmen added to the roster in the offseason, Sims was the No. 76-rated senior nationally by Collegiate Girl's Basketball Report a year ago. She averaged 18.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game as a senior at Troy High School in Fullerton, Calif.
-Antoinette Thompson, Fr., G, 5-7--A late addition to the Frogs' 2007-08 recruiting class, Thompson starred for O.D. Wyatt High School in Fort Worth, she averaged 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a senior and earned back-to-back District Defensive MVP honors during her career.
