TCU
Minnesota
Lady Frog Comeback Bid Falls Short, 61-56
11/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2009
FREEPORT, Bahamas—TCU found itself in an early 17-point hole before rallying, but the Frogs were unable to complete their comeback during a 61-56 loss to Minnesota in the opening game of the Junkanoo Jam Friday on Grand Bahama Island.
The loss, only the team's second in six all-time matchups against a Big Ten Conference program, dropped TCU to 3-2 on the season.
Minnesota claimed a big advantage in the first half that the Frogs were never able to overcome, jumping out to a 20-5 lead just over 12 minutes into the game. Helping fuel TCU's struggles was a 2-of-17 shooting start, in addition to 13 first-half turnovers. The Gophers went up by 17 points with 6:54 remaining in the period after holding the Frogs to only one field goal in nearly 10 minutes until junior guard Emily Carter found her range from behind the arc with just over six minutes left.
Despite a 13-point UM edge at intermission, TCU worked its way back into the game in the second half and was able to cut the lead to only four points with 7:34 remaining. The Gophers then surged ahead for good, responding with a 12-0 run that pushed their lead back to 16 points while pushing victory out of reach. The Frogs closed the game on a 14-4 spurt before the clock expired.
Carter led TCU with a season-best 18 points that were fueled by a 4-of-6 showing from 3-point range. Senior guard Eboni Mangum added 12 points off the bench for her second double-figure scoring effort of the season.
Freshman forward Starr Crawford continued the fast early start to her career on the boards with a game-high 12 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass. She added eight points. Junior guard Helena Sverrisdottir totaled seven assists, although she was held to a season-low three points.
Three Gophers scored in double figures. Forward Jackie Voigt paced the team with 15 points that included a trio of 3-pointers, while forward Ashley Ellis-Milan and Kiara Buford each totaled 11. Ellis-Milan recorded a double-double by adding a team-high 10 boards.
TCU used the 3-ball to work itself back into the contest. Mangum, Carter and junior Rachel Rentschler each connected from behind the arc during TCU's second-half surge. The Frogs finished 9-of-25 from long-distance for the game.
Back-to-back two-point buckets by Crawford and Mangum with 7:45 remaining looked to give the Frogs a chance, as the advantage was sliced to 45-41, but Minnesota was able to kill any comeback hopes. UM's ensuing 12-0 run was finished off by 3-pointers by guard China Antoine, Voigt and guard Kiara Buford.
TCU's second and final rally attempt in the game's closing minutes featured 3-pointers by Mangum and sophomore guard Antoinette Thompson, as well as a Carter trey at the final buzzer.
TCU concludes its holiday weekend on the hardwood Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, when it faces No. 18/23 Kansas in the third-place game of its section of the Junkanoo Jam. Due to the TCU football game, the Lady Frog radio broadcast will not air on KTCU 88.7 FM, but will be available via the web only on GoFrogs.com.
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Players Mentioned
