TCU Meets BYU Saturday in Key MWC Clash
2/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 13, 2009
GAME #24
TCU (15-8; 7-3 MWC) at BYU (16-5; 6-3 MWC)
Saturday, Feb. 14 | 3 p.m. MT | Provo, Utah | Marriott Center (22,700)
TV: BYU TV (DirecTV ch. 374; Dish ch. 9403) | Talent: Jarom Jordan (pxp), Kristen Kozlowski (color)
Radio: KTCU (88.7 FM), gofrogs.com | Talent: Jeff Williams (pxp)
Series Record vs. BYU: 5-8 | Last Meeting: Jan. 13, 2009 in Fort Worth (L, 46-62)
FORT WORTH--TCU takes a two-game winning streak to the road Saturday when it tips off against BYU at 3 p.m. MT in Provo, Utah. The Lady Frogs will look to avenge last month's home loss to the Cougars in a game that can be seen nationwide on BYU TV, which is available on DirecTV and Dish Network satellite providers, in addition to numerous cable outlets.
TCU, 15-8 overall and 7-3 in Mountain West Conference play, enters Satuday's matchup a half game in front of the Cougars (16-5; 6-3 MWC) in the league standings after notching consecutive home wins last week over Colorado State and UNLV. The Frogs currently hold down the coveted No. 3 spot in the standings, a slot that earns a bye into the quarterfinals of next month's MWC Championships in Las Vegas, and are searching for their first three-game winning streak since winning the opening five contests of the season. BYU brings a three-game winning streak into the matchup.
The Frogs trail in the all-time series against the Cougars, 5-7, after dropping the teams' previous meeting of the season, 62-46, in Fort Worth back on Jan. 13. Prior to the loss, the Frogs had taken three straight decisions in the series.
Saturday's contest will be TCU's ninth this season carried live on national television and the fifth of a five-games-out-of-six stretch. Jarom Jordan (play-by-play) and Kristen Kozlowski (color) will serve as the broadcast team for BYU TV. The matchup also will be carried live on the radio throughout the Metroplex on 88.7 KTCU-FM with Jeff Williams (play-by-play) calling the action. A link to a live stream of the radio broadcast can be found on GoFrogs.com, in addition to a live stats feed via Gametracker.
FROG QUICK NOTES
-TCU ranks among the top-8 teams nationally in 3FG percentage (No. 6), fewest turnovers (No. 8), and FT percentage (No. 8).
-TCU leads the Mountain West Conference in scoring (72.0 ppg), 3-point FG percentage (39.7%), 3-pointers made (7.00 3pg), assist/turnover ratio (1.02) and fewest turnovers (14.1 tpg).
-TCU is 5-0 when either tying or winning the rebounding battle this season and 7-0 when holding the opponent to 59 points or fewer.
-TCU has made at least seven 3-pointers in four straight games. Emily Carter has made at least one trey in 10 consecutive outings, while TK LaFleur has made one or more in seven straight contests.
-Sverrisdottir is the only player ranked among the MWC's top 7 in scoring (No. 3), rebounding (No. 7), assists (No. 2) and steals (No. 7).
-Sverrisdottir has recorded two of the MWC's three individual 10-assist performances this season.
-Sverrisdottir has made 31 straight free throws over the last six games.
-Emily Carter's 11 straight double-figure scoring efforts are tied for the team seaon high with Sverrisdottir..
-Carter's 15.8 ppg scoring average in league play leads TCU and ranks No. 3 among all MWC players.
-Carter leads the MWC in 3-point field-goal percentage (52.0%) and 3-pointers made per game (2.60) in conference games.
-TK LaFleur and Sverrisdottir share the team lead in 20-point scoring games with six each.
-TCU, UConn and Florida State are the only programs in the nation with two wins against teams that were ranked No. 3 or higher in at least one of the national polls at the time of the game.
-TCU's current turnover average (14.1 topg) is on pace to shatter the school-record low of 16.0 set in 2006-07.
-Despite having taken 112 fewer field-goal attempts from the field this season than its opponents, TCU has made 23 more shots (a 42.3 to 37.5 advantage in percentage). The stat also holds true for 3-pointers, as the Frogs have 13 more buckets despite 151 fewer attempts than the opponent (a 39.7 to 26.6 percent advantage).
-TCU has appeared in the Associated Press Top 25 poll five weeks this season and three weeks in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, with high positions of Nos. 19 and 22, respectively.
-Newcomers have accounted for 46.0 percent of TCU's offense this season (761 of 1,656 points).
SCOUTING THE BYU COUGARS
Heach Coach Jeff Judkins has BYU on the path to turnaround after the squad went 13-16 in 2007-08 for the only non-winning record in his first seven seasons. The Cougars, which feature two returning starters from last season and six newcomers, have suffered only five losses in 2008-09 and enter Saturday on a three-game winning streak.
BYU has leaded on solid team defense during its fast start, as it leads the MWC in scoring defense (56.0 ppg) and 3-point field-goal percentage defense (26.4 percent). The squad has scored 60.8 ppg, which ranks seventh in the league and is fifth in rebounding margin at -0.3.
Sophomore guard Mindy Nielson (11.0 ppg) leads the BYU scoring attack, while senior forward Shawnee Slade also averages double figures with a 10.1-point scoring average. Sophomore guard Jazmine Foreman (3.8 apg) and Neilson (3.1 apg) rank fourth and eighth, respectively, in the MWC in assists. BYU's leader on the glass is senior center Cassie King (5.8 rpg), who also leads the conference in field-goal percentage (58.3 percent).
LAST MEETING: BYU 62, TCU 46 (JAN. 13, 2009)
TCU suffered its first loss in Mountain West Conference action this season Jan. 13 during a 62-46 setback to BYU in Fort Worth. The Cougars were able to hold the Frogs to season lows in several categories, including points, field goals (11) and field-goal percentage (22.4 percent). In addition to shooting woes that saw TCU go 11-of-49 from the field, the Frogs also turned the ball over 20 times and were outrebounded, 43-35.
TCU was able to keep close for much of the game despite its offensive woes. The squad trailed by only one point with just under 14 minutes remaining, 34-33, until the Cougars pulled away during a prolonged Frog scoring slump. BYU registered a 12-0 run while holding TCU scoreless for more than seven-and-a-half minutes. Sophomore guards Emily Carter and Helena Sverrisdottir shared the TCU scoring lead with 11 points each. Nine of Sverrisdottir's total came from the charity stripe, as she went 9-of-10 on the evening.
Players Mentioned
