Women's Hoops Opens Season Sunday vs. Houston Baptist
11/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 13, 2009
GAME NOTES--HBU 
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GAME #1
TCU (0-0) vs. HOUSTON BAPTIST (0-1)
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Fort Worth, Texas • Daniel-Meyer Coliseum (7,201) • Sunday, Nov. 15 • 1 p.m.
Radio: KTCU (88.7 FM), gofrogs.com • Talent: Jeff Williams (play-by-play), Jeff Lewis (color)
Internet (gofrogs.com): Free Live Radio, Stats and Video
Series Record vs. HBU: First Meeting
TCU Head Coach: Jeff Mittie (Missouri Western, '89) • Record: 216-106 in 10 years at TCU (367-165 overall)
Assistants: Brian Ostermann (Wis. La Crosse, '88), Tonya Haut (Baylor, '99), Tricia Davern (TCU, '02)
HBU Head Coach: Todd Buchanan (Murray St., '95) • Record: 77-44 in 5 years at HBU (96-80 overall)
Assistants: Ravon Justice (Science & Arts of Oklahoma), Rusty Laverentz (Missouri Western)
FORT WORTH--TCU opens 2009-10 regular-season play Sunday at 1 p.m., when it plays host to Houston Baptist at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The matchup, the first ever between the Lady Frogs and Huskies, marks the first half of a two-game homestand for TCU to open the season. The squad next plays Fresno State at home on Wednesday before leaving Fort Worth for its opening road game Nov. 21 at Oklahoma.
Following Sunday's game, the Lady Frogs will host a free kids clinic in the Ed & Rae Schollmaier Basketball Complex. All youth grades K-6 attending the game against the Huskies are invited to the event, which will begin immediately following the game and last approximately one hour. Kids will have the opportunity to meet the players and coaches, get photos and autographs and even run drills with the team in the Schollmaier Basketball Complex gym. Pizza and refreshments will be provided free of charge during the event, which does not require registration.
Sunday marks the start of TCU's second decade of play under head coach Jeff Mittie, who has led his program to a 216-106 record and eight NCAA Tournament appearances in his previous 10 years. The Frogs return a veteran-laden team featuring most of the key contributors from last season's 20-11 squad that finished in third place and only one game back in the Mountain West Conference standings.
TCU's matchup with HBU can be heard live on the radio throughout the Metroplex on 88.7 KTCU-FM with Jeff Williams and Jeff Lewis serving as the play-by-play team. Williams kicks off his 12th straight season as the voice of the Lady Frogs, while Lewis begins his second year as color commentator. A live video stream, live stats and a link to an Internet radio feed all will be available via GoFrogs.com.
FROG QUICK NOTES
-TCU is 16-11 in season openers since 1982-83, including a mark of 9-1 under Jeff Mittie.
-Returning for TCU in 2009-10: top-5 scorers (91%), top-7 rebounders (79%) and top 6 players in assists (93%).
-Helena Sverrisdottir is the nation's No. 18 leading returning freshman or sophomore scorer from a year ago. She ranks 24th in assists for the same group.
-HBU assistant Rusty Laverentz served as a student video assistant at Missouri Western and a graduate assistant at Arkansas St. when Jeff Mittie was head coach at each school.
SCOUTING THE HBU HUSKIES
Houston Baptist, led by fifth-year head coach Todd Buchanan, is in its third season of NCAA Division I provisional status after moving up from the NAIA ranks. Buchanan's team returns two starters and five letterwinners from last season's squad that accounted for 619 points.
Leading the returners is sophomore guard Raquel Jones, who ranked as the team's top freshman scorer a season ago at 8.0 points per game. Jones' 30.0-percent shooting rate from beyond the arc ranked third on last season's squad. Sophomore post Jamie Spriggs, who posted a 4.2-rebound average, is the team's top returner on the glass.
The Huskies brought in five transfers (one senior, three juniors and one sophomore) and five freshmen in the offseason. Senior guard Tia Jackson will sit out this year due to NCAA transfer rules.
HBU opened its season Friday at home against No. 6 Duke and dropped a 104-35 decision to the Blue Devils.
TCU ROLLS CAMERON IN EXHIBITION
TCU scored early and often en route to a 104-47 exhibition victory over visiting Cameron University Wednesday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Seven of the 10 Lady Frogs to see action scored in double figures, including freshmen Starr Crawford (18 points), Delis Gross (11 points) and Hannah Christian (10 points).
The final outcome was fueled mostly by a TCU defensive effort that forced Cameron into a staggering 40 turnovers. The Frogs were able to turn those miscues into a 54-2 advantage in points off turnovers. The squad shot 50.0 percent (36-of-72) from the field for the game.
Crawford led the team in her first game in a Purple and White uniform with a double-double featuring team-high totals of 18 points and 10 rebounds, including six offensive boards. Senior Eboni Mangum chipped in 16 points in her first game action since missing the second half of last season with a right knee injury.
NEW SEASON, EXPERIENCED TEAM
Eight letterwinners who accounted for all but three starts from a season ago return for TCU this season.
Among the returnees are three players who earned All-Mountain West Conference honors as underclassmen in 2008-09--junior Helena Sverrisdottir (first team), senior TK LaFleur (second team; MWC Newcomer of the Year) and junior Emily Carter (second team). Former Lady Frog Michaela Younger (three starts at center) was the only player with starting experience lost.
Overall, TCU returns 91.1 percent of scoring (top five scorers), 79.1 percent of rebounding (top seven players) and 92.9 percent of its assist totals (top six players) from a year ago.
Players Mentioned
