BC Hands Lady Frogs First Loss
11/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2008
FORT WORTH—No. 22/24 TCU suffered its first loss of the season Thursday to Boston College, 77-68, during its opening game of the Caribbean Challenge in Cancun, Mexico. The Frogs were unable to recover from a 20-0 run by the Eagles to start the contest, despite climbing to within three points in the second half at Moon Palace Resort.
The setback dropped the Lady Frogs to 5-1 this season, as the squad fell one victory shy of matching the program record for best start to a season at 6-0 (2003-04).
Sophomore Rachel Rentschler posted her first career double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs, to lead TCU. Rentschler's effort marked the second straight game she reached career highs in the two categories, besting her 15-point, five-rebound effort during Tuesday's home win over Houston. She started the game by making eight of her first 10 shots from the field before finishing 9-of-13.
Junior TK LaFleur and sophomore Helena Sverrisdottir each chipped in 15 points, with LaFleur adding team highs of five assists and five steals.
BC was led by two players with 20-point nights, guard Mickel Picco (23) and forward Stefanie Murphy (21). Murphy pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to help her squad post a 50-34 advantage on the boards. The two players also combined to go 16-of-18 from the free throw line.
TCU never led against the Eagles and found itself in a major hole early when BC scored the game's first 20 points. The Frogs were unable to break onto the scoreboard until a layup in the paint by Sverrisdottir nearly seven minutes into the ballgame.
Boston College frustrated TCU on the offensive end early in the contest, forcing seven turnovers before Sverrisdottir's basket. While the Frogs cut down on their miscues and finished the game with only 14 turnovers, the Eagles took full advantage of the early mistakes.
Despite facing the major deficit, the Frogs regrouped and were able to inch closer as the first half moved along. The lead shrank to as few as seven points on a jumper by Rentschler with about five and a half minutes remaining in the period. The two teams entered intermission with BC leading by 11 points, 33-22.
TCU immediately cut the advantage to only five in the opening minute of the second half on 3-point plays by Rentschler and LaFleur. After the teams traded baskets, the Eagles used a 10-2 run to surge out to a 13-point lead with just over 12 mintues to play.
A 10-0 run keyed by a Rentschler trey and five points by Sverrisdottir brought the Frogs back to within three points with just under four minutes remaining, but Boston College responded with six straight points over the next two minutes to put the game away. The Eagles went 13-of-15 from the free throw line over the final 7-plus minutes of the contest to help keep TCU at bay.
TCU will look to regroup Friday during a 1 p.m. contest against Eastern Michigan. The game is the squad's final matchup of the Caribbean Challenge.
Players Mentioned
